Amnesia - A New Beginning
by Nova Edgewater
Summary: A girl is found unconscious in the town square of Echo Village. When she awakes she has no recollection of her past. The girl can't help but feel afraid that some danger is looming. Will she find safety and security in Echo Village? Can she remember what she needs to before it's too late? (Sort of a crossover with Magical Melody too.) Changed to M just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Another new mystery story since I can't seem to stay away from them :)**

* * *

_Her heart was pounding in her chest. She couldn't stop running, if she did they would catch up to her, and she couldn't afford that. She needed to get away. Heavy raindrops poured over her body, blurring her vision. The slick, wet grass felt cold under her bare feet, every now and then she would stumble over some branches or other obstacles in her way, but she didn't stop running. She couldn't stop, If she stopped... Oh goddess she didn't want to think of what would happen if she stopped. She was completely unaware of her surroundings, all that mattered was getting away. She ran until she couldn't run anymore, and then she collapsed._

* * *

"What's wrong with her?" Neil asked. He had found the young girl laying unconscious, and had quickly run to get the town's mayor, Dunhill, who lived close by. The young animal dealer was out of his comfort zone and was ill equipped to deal with this type of situation. People did not show up like this in a small town like Echo Town.

"Not quite sure. You say you found her here in the square?" Dunhill asked.

"Yup, right where I usually set up shop."

"Poor thing musta got caught in last night's storm, wonder what she's doin' here," Dunhill mused. His brow furrowed. It had been a long time since anyone new had moved to Echo Town. While it had certainly become more established than it was before, people weren't exactly flocking to move there either. "Best go get Dr Klaus. He'll be wanting to examine her for sure." Neil grumbled something under his breath and left to get the doctor.

The young girl laying on the concrete was small. She had a dark chestnut brown hair that was tangled around her face. She looked pale, almost lifeless. Dunhill could see the rise and fall of her chest indicating life in her. As Dunhill continued to examine her, checking, with his limited knowledge, for serious injury, the girl started moving. A soft moan escaped from her lips.

"Wha-" the young girl started saying. Her voice was hoarse and weak. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands. Instantly she set up. Her head was spinning. "Where am I?"

"Well hello young lady, you are in Echo Town," Dunhill answered soothingly. The girl regarded him with fearful eyes. Something inside of her screamed to run, but she remained rooted to the spot. "My name is Dunhill, I'm the mayor here. What is your name?" He was trying his best to soothe the girl, it was clear that her nerves were shot. She appeared to be almost frightened.

"I... My name?" She asked. She lifted her hand up and stared as if the answer to his question was buried somewhere within the lines on her palm. Why couldn't she remember her name? Panic started to settle in. How does one forget her name?

Dunhill was shocked. He'd heard of cases like this, but never saw it first hand. This girl must have amnesia. Not wanting to scare her further, he didn't press any more for her name.

"It's alright," Dunhill soothed. "We've got a Doctor on the way, he's going to help you." For whatever reason this thought offered little comfort to the girl. In fact, if anything, it filled her with dread.

"How long have I been here?" The girl asked.

"I am not so sure myself," Dunhill answered. "Someone else found you. Neil, he's the one that went to get the doctor."

The girl pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face in her arms. She could not think straight. Fear enveloped her.

"Dunhill!" Klaus called out.

"Over here!" Dunhill answered. He waved his arm in the air. The doctor and Neil came rushing over.

"Good to see that's she's conscious," Klaus stated. He held his hand out to the girl. Instantly she shrunk away from him. He had a stern looking face with sharp angles, and a pointy nose. Even though he was smiling, the smile failed to reach his eyes. She looked instead to Dunhill. Sadly, right now, he was the only person that she knew; albeit only for a few moments. Klaus sighed. He was accustomed to people being afraid of him.

"It's alright," Dunhill advised. "He's here to help you." The young girl finally relented. She still refused to take his hand.

"Are you coming too?" She asked Dunhill.

"Sure I reckon I can tag along," Dunhill chuckled. Perhaps it was because she reminded him of his daughter who had moved out of Echo town a long time ago.

"Thank you," the young girl stated. The trio walked to the small town's clinic.

"She seems to have amnesia of some sort," Klaus informed Dunhill after the examination. "Her injuries are superficial, there's no bump on her head, so I can only deduce that she's had some sort of trauma happen to her."

"So she doesn't remember anything?" Dunhill asked.

"Not a thing, it's like she's a blank slate," Klaus informed. "I have never seen a case this bad before." Dunhill looked over the small girl. She looked so helpless and lost.

"What are we going to do with her?" Dunhill asked. Klaus shrugged.

"Not our responsibility is it?" Klaus asked annoyed.

"Yes it is," Dunhill stated. Klaus was a great doctor, but too distant and uncaring at times.

"Look if you feel the need to help her go ahead, my job's done. Physically speaking she's fine," Klaus asserted. Dunhill shook his head and walked over to the girl.

"So you really don't remember anything?" Dunhill asked. She shook her head.

"I wish I could," she sighed.

"Well you are more than welcome to stay here if you wish," Dunhill explained. Her eyes lit up.

"I would love to stay here!" She gasped.

"Now what should we call you?" Dunhill asked.

"Rachel," the girl responded.

"Where'd you get that from?" Dunhill asked chuckling.

"Not sure," she said scratching her head. "It just came to me."

"Well then Rachel it is!" Dunhill stated. Rachel smiled, for the first time since she'd regained consciousness she was starting to feel safe.

* * *

The shrill ring of the phone pierced through the air. A man answered it quickly.

"Speak!" He boomed. He had little patience for mistakes. The man he had hired had made enough of them already.

"She got away sir," a voice said timidly. "We couldn't catch her.

"What?!" The man shouted.

"I'm sorry! I'm not sure what happened but she got away!" The other pleaded.

"Well then I suggest you go find her," the first said attempting to keep calm. "You know what's at stake here."

"Yes sir," came the response. He hung the phone up. He'd put a lot of money, and had a lot invested into this project and he was not prepared to lose it all because of a stupid mistake some lackey underling made


	2. Chapter 2

**Slightly uneventful, just trying to get the base of the story set up.**

* * *

Dunhill walked with Rachel out of the Clinic as quickly as he could. While Klaus Stanson was a great doctor, his bedside manner left a lot to be desired. Rachel had seemed so leery of him, Dunhill concluded it would be best to get her out of the clinic as soon as possible. The question was, what to do with her now? A girl who didn't remember anything would certainly cause questions in this small town. He suddenly remembered that Henry, the farmer, was looking for some part-time help.

"Our local farmer, Henry, is looking for some help on his farm," Dunhill advised. "If you're lookin' to stay you'll need a job."

"That sounds lovely," Rachel stated. She was pretty sure she'd never done farm work before, but it was better than nothing.

"Let's get you to that farm then!" Dunhill exclaimed.

* * *

Henry Jones had made a good life for himself in Echo Village. His farm was ever expanding, and he needed help. He certainly didn't want to keep asking his beautiful wife Felicity, her passion was cooking and food. She was a renowned food critic. He was proud of her accomplishments, and he wanted her to be able to dedicate her time to what she loved. It had been the cause of a few minor disputes over the past few months. It had been trying times, which had made him decide that he needed to find part time help. But finding that in a small town was proving to be more difficult than he thought it would be. Not too many people would come through looking for jobs. Henry stretched out his back. Farming was hard, yet very rewarding work. He looked up to see Dunhill come onto his farm with a little wisp of a girl.

"Mornin' Henry!" Dunhill called out. Henry resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Dunhill had not been his favorite person.

"Mornin'," Henry greeted back. He wondered what Dunhill was doing with this strange girl standing in his yard. Dunhill was not a frequent visitor of the farm.

"You still lookin' for some help?" Dunhill asked.

"Why? You looking to fill that position?" Henry asked sarcastically. Dunhill gave a polite chuckle in response.

"Me no!" Dunhill exclaimed. "My old man bones are much too brittle for the type of work you do my boy. No, we got us a newcomer to town lookin' for some work." Dunhill motioned his head toward the girl.

"Are you sure?" Henry asked. He wasn't sure how much help the small girl standing next to Dunhill would be.

"Sure as shootin'," Dunhill replied. Henry stared skeptically at the girl.

"Name's Henry, what's your name?" Henry greeted.

"Ummm... Rachel," she answered timidly.

"Rachel what?"

She looked at Dunhill for help. How was she supposed to answer that question?

"She has amnesia," Dunhill answered. Neil found her on the ground in the square. Doesn't know who she is. We sorta just picked the name Rachel."

Henry looked at the girl dubiously. He had heard about such things happening, but wasn't sure if he believed any of it. This girl didn't seem too dangerous, but he had learned from his time in the city, the good ones never do. He had seen young girls who were just as adept as conning people as grown men. Those were the ones you had to watch out for, and Henry certainly had a lot to protect.

"I dunno-" he started.

"Henry Thornton Jones!" The voice of his wife came to him clear across the morning air. "After hearing that, how can you not hire her!" Felicity was standing just a few feet behind him in the window of the large farmhouse.

"How long have you been there?" Henry asked, her tone of voice made him feel as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn't have. He hated seeing that half disappointed, half frustrated look that was across her lovely features. It was something that had come across her face more and more these days. All he wanted to do was to make her happy. It was all he had ever wanted from the minute his father had died, and left him the farm in Echo Town.

"That's not what matters! What matters is this girl needs our help!" Felicity all but scolded.

"I suppose you're right," Henry sighed. Felicity's caring heart was what made him fall in love with her in the first place, but at times she was too trusting for her own good. Turning to the girl, he looked over her once more then, he extended his hand. "You sure you're up for this?"

"Oh yes," Rachel replied.

"Great, now that we got that all settled, we just need to find you a place to stay," Dunhill replied.

"Nonsense!" Felicity said through the window. "There's a perfectly good house here on the property for her. It's the one Henry first moved into, before he built this one. It's not being used, she can just stay there." Dunhill chuckled at Felicity's response, and Henry's following scowl. Henry was not known for his generosity, in fact, before he had married he had been quite stingy. He also knew that Henry would not contradict his wife.

"That would be great!" Dunhill exclaimed. "I'll leave her to you then." He said his goodbyes to the young girl, and exited the farm.

Rachel didn't want to see him leave, he had been so kind to her and Henry didn't seem to want her there at all. She instead looked at Felicity who appeared to be more welcoming. Felicity gave her a warm smile, which instantly made Rachel feel less scared.

"Have you eaten yet?" Felicity asked. Rachel shook her head. "Men! I swear they really don't think of these details. I tell you what. I'm going to take you to our town's restaurant where I work, you need to get a proper meal in you before you do anything else."

"Thank you kindly," Rachel stated humbly.

Henry shook his head but said nothing. If Felicity wanted to extend kindness to this girl, then he would allow her to do so. Felicity disappeared from the window.

"Are you sure you don't need me here?" Rachel asked.

"You go on with my wife. We'll get you to work soon enough, don't you worry!" Henry said. His voice was less harsh. It was as if he had made his decision to allow her to stay, so he was going to be nicer to her.

* * *

Rachel stood in the middle of the clothing store feeling more than a bit overwhelmed. After Felicity had provided a feast of more food than she could have ever possibly eaten, she had insisted they go to the tailor to buy Rachel some new clothes. Rachel found herself liking the tailor who had introduced herself as Yuri. She was a quiet, straight to the point type of girl, who said few words. She smiled slightly, very unlike Felicity, whose expressions spread across her face.

"Really, you should be wearing darker colors," Yuri stated looking at a few of the outfits Felicity had chosen. Yuri was biting her bottom lip as she said this. Rachel would have taken anything. What she was currently wearing was not only plain, but obviously old and worn. She wasn't sure how she'd even acquired these clothes.

"Oh! Yuri, I obviously don't have the best eye for fashion!" Rachel heard Felicity say. "I am much better with food than with fashion!" Felicity put back some of the outfits she had picked out. Yuri giggled softly and picked out a few other choices.

"I really don't need that many," Rachel insisted.

"Oh yes you do," Felicity countered. "There is so much to do here in town. Festivals, gatherings, and other such fun events, you can't possibly wear the same thing every time!" Rachel decided it was better not to argue with the farmer's wife, and instead she watched as Yuri and Felicity finished the transaction.

* * *

While Rachel was having clothing purchased for her, miles away in Flowerbud Village a doctor sat fuming in his office. He had hired the men because they were the best that this small Town had to offer, given the slightly illegal nature of "Project Rachel." He was enraged that they had managed to let the girl slip from their grasp. Doctor Alex Martin had spent the last few years building up his image. He had been seen as the wholesome, good man, in this town. But the money that was offered him was too good to give up. He slammed his fist against his desk, causing several items to fall off. They fell with a loud clatter on his hardwood floor.

"Are you okay in there doctor?" The voice of his nurse Gina called through the door.

"Everything's fine Gina!" Alex called back in response. Regardless of what was happening, he had to find a way to get it together. He picked up the items from the ground and placed them neatly back on his desk. Afterwards he picked up the telephone, to make a call he had been putting off.

"Speak," came a harsh voice.

"Sir, we can't locate her," Alex advised.

"Incompetent fools! Look I'm going to be sending someone your way! He's going to help you find her and fix this mess!"

Alex heard a distinctive click. He sighed heavily. The plan had been foolproof, if only for that girl! She was costing him a lot of money; money that he needed to keep up his failing practice. He needed to find her, his entire reputation depended on it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Flowerbud will not be in every chapter, but I felt the need to include it in the first few to set up my story. I am really enjoying this one. Hope you like it too!**

* * *

Sheriff Gwen Winters would have recognized mercenary Vaughn Layton anywhere. What he was doing in her hometown of Flowerbud, piqued her curiosity. When she had worked in the city, she'd seen him at the station quite often. She'd been a lowly grunt at that point, she'd only recently been promoted with her move back home. Vaughn was tough, and he liked to "bend the rules" as he called it. She called it what it was, breaking the law. He always managed to evade captivity thanks to one hell of a lawyer. His appearance here could mean nothing good.

She made her way to the Sanatorium, where it was apparent he was staying. She wondered how anyone there could be associated with someone like Vaughn. Everyone there seemed to be upstanding. But Gwen knew from the job that she couldn't just trust appearances. Gwen entered the Sanatorium, Vaughn turned to look at the imposing guest. She could see that she was not welcome. She didn't allow that fact to rattle her, instead she put on her brightest smile.

"Hello there," Gwen greeted.

"Miss Gwen," Alex greeted nervously. "H-have you met my cousin, Mark?" Gwen's smile never faltered, as she registered the doctor's lie. He was clearly nervous about the fact that she had showed up. She was hoping Vaughn didn't recognize her. It was unlikely he would, When she'd been on the force in the city, she'd looked a lot different. She hadn't wanted to earn her way up through her beauty, but through her own merits. Now that she had the promotion, she no longer cared about hiding certain attributes like her golden blonde hair.

"Hello Mark," Gwen greeted. "Of course I just wanted to check on the new person in town."

"Of course," Vaughn answered dryly. Gwen could see him sizing her up. She hoped that he would underestimate her abilities. Confident criminals covered up less, and made more mistakes.

"Gotta take care of the town," Alex stated. Gwen could still hear the nervousness in his voice. She knew something was up, but she let the matter drop.

"Welcome to Flowerbud," Gwen said and extended her hand out. Vaughn stared at it for a moment, then shook it.

* * *

Rachel had not anticipated farm work to be so hard. Henry had put her to work with the animals. She enjoyed the chickens. In the henhouse she felt somewhat in control. Gathering eggs and feeding chickens was simple. However when she got to the barn, it was another story altogether. She worked for a half hour trying to get milk out of one cow, and she'd barely filled a quarter of the bucket. Suddenly the cow kicked up and knocked over her bucket.

"Argh!" Rachel screamed out in aggravation. She backed away from the cow, knowing that her aggravation would only make things worse at this point. She had a determination to make this work. She was so grateful for a safe place to stay. Waking up not remembering anything was frightening. Even though being on the farm felt relatively safe on the farm, she still felt a bit unease. She couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that there was something she needed to remember.

Rachel stepped out of the barn to relieve some of the tension she was feeling. She was embarrassed to admit the cow had gotten the better of her. Spending time with the cow had brought up anxieties that she felt about not remembering her past. She rubbed her hands over her face. When she looked up, she saw Felicity coming out of the large farmhouse with a bright cheery smile on her face.

"Morning Rachel!" She called out.

"Good morning," Rachel greeted in response.

"How's it going?" Felicity inquired. The young farmer's wife had a look of genuine concern on her face. Rachel found herself feeling comfortable around her. She still felt a bit on edge around Henry, but Felicity had been nothing but kind to her.

"Um... okay," Rachel replied. Felicity cocked her head to the side.

"What's up?" She asked, making her way over to the barn.

"Just taking a breather," Rachel said. "Been struggling with that same cow now for a while."

"Ah," Felicity sighed. "That'd be Betty, she's a real hard one. Didn't Henry tell you the trick with her?" Rachel shook her head. If there was some trick to getting on that cow's good side, she'd like to know.

"No ma'am," Rachel answered.

"Tsk, that Henry! Well the trick is you have to brush her down first, then give her a cow treat, she's the oldest cow we own and very set in her ways," Felicity informed.

"Thank you!" Rachel sighed. She turned back around to head into the barn with a new determination.

It took a while, but Rachel finally got old Betty to cooperate. After dealing with that fiasco, the rest of the animals seemed easy by comparison. Rachel took the animal products to the maker shed, and settled into making butter, cheese and mayonnaise. The coolness of the she'd and the hum if the machines was rather pleasant. She could definitely get used to this part of the job.

All of her jobs took her until early afternoon to finish. The work was tough, but rewarding. Henry had told her that when she was done, the rest of the day was hers. She retreated to her small house to take a shower. The water washed away the stink, sweat and frustration she'd had earlier. Being still early in the day, Rachel decided to explore town a bit. She passed by the square where she'd been found, a shop of animals and another of pets were set up. That area still have her shivers so she steered clear of there. She was also careful to avoid the clinic. On the farthest western part of town stood a beautiful mansion. It amazed her to see the gorgeous topiaries and perfectly manicured lawn surrounding it. Her eyes caught a small pasture of exotic alpacas. A man with a long almost silvery braid was attending them. He looked so at ease with the animals, Rachel couldn't help but stare. The one alpaca at Henry's farm had been quite fidgety around her.

"Who might you be? And what are you doing here?" A voice asked. Rachel jumped. She'd been so entranced watching the other man, she hadn't even noticed one come up to her. Another man with silvery hair dressed in bright white clothing, gleaming with gold stood before her.

"I- I am s-sorry," Rachel stammered. The man looked at her for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed. Rachel had the distinct feeling she was being mocked, and didn't appreciate it.

"You must be the new girl everyone's talking about," the man stated.

"People are talking about me?" Rachel asked.

"This is a small town. Everyone talks about everything," he stated. "By the way, sorry for being so rude, I am Prince Amir. I own these properties."

"I'm Rachel," she greeted, shaking his outstretched hand. She was slightly awestruck at meeting a prince.

"Well my lady, as much as I like having random beautiful women on my property, I must ask again, what are you doing here?"

"I was just exploring," Rachel stayed. She felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. "I got wrapped up watching the alpacas, I apologize."

"Don't, everyone is welcome here. I had just never seen you around before," Amir mused. Rachel was confused by this strange man. He seemed to be contradicting what he said at every moment. "Sanjay! Come meet the new girl!"

The man attending the alpacas turned to where they were standing. Rachel felt herself blushing even more. She felt uncomfortable with all this attention. Sanjay walked over to them.

"Hello," he greeted. His voice was warm and melodic. Rachel instantly felt herself relaxing.

"Hello," Rachel echoed.

"This is the new girl in town, Rachel," Amir informed.

"A pleasure to meet you Miss Rachel," Sanjay stated. Rachel blushed again, and extended her hand, instead of shaking it, he lifted it to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss. A warm heat spread through her arm.

"Well I hope to see you again Miss Rachel, if you'll excuse my rudeness, I have to finish attending to the alpacas, they are a finicky bunch," Sanjay stated. He bowed slightly and returned to his work.

"Sanjay is great with animals," Amir said. Rachel barely heard what he was saying. She was trying not to stare at the man who had just left; and also trying to forget the tiny jolt she had felt when he had kissed her hand.

* * *

Alex was relieved that Gwen had bought the story of Vaughn being his cousin. He had rehearsed it several times the night before. Vaughn was the man that had been sent to him. Alex instantly hated him. He was rude, and harsh, and had made Alex feel like an idiot. But according to the man in charge, he was the best. If anyone could find The girl, it'd be Vaughn.

"So where's the last place your man saw her?" Vaughn asked again.

"I told you this already," Alex sighed. Vaughn came up close into Alex's face. He stood a good half foot taller than Alex.

"Tell me again," Vaughn stated. "I want to make sure you and I are on the same page."

"Right outside of Flowerbud, she ran into the forest and they lost her." Vaughn eased back a bit. Alex still didn't relax. The sooner they could find the girl and get this project finished, the sooner Alex could be done with Vaughn.

"What's beyond the forest?" Vaughn asked.

"I don't know, it's a huge forest, there's no telling where she could have gone, or which direction," Alex stated.

"Then we start tonight with the surrounding forest area searching for clues," Vaughn barked.

"We?" Alex asked.

"Yes we," Vaughn answered. Alex inwardly groaned. This was not what he had bargained for at all when he'd signed on to this project.


	4. Chapter 4

_Rain splattered around her. Large drops splashed across her face. She was standing outside of a large building. She had finally made her way out. It was dark, and she could feel panic setting in. She started running. She did not know where she was running to, but she knew she had to run somewhere. Anyway away from where she currently was, would be better. The rain was cold and felt sharp against her skin. She looked back at the building, a man emerged. She headed for the forest. Hopefully she could lose them there, it was dark enough. She didn't look back, all she could do was keep running. The forest floor was rough on her feet, but she didn't care, she kept running. She had to keep going._

* * *

Rachel shot up in her small bed. Cold sweat beaded her forehead, outside the thunder and lightning was crashing around the small house. She stood up. feeling a bit disoriented. The hardwood floor felt cold against her feet. The dream had shaken her to the core. The sound of the rain outside only intensified her fear.

She reached for the small lamp. The light flooded into the room, chasing away the shadows of the night. Even in the light, she felt afraid. She wrapped her arms around her body, to try to stop from shivering. She wasn't sure why she felt such an intense fear of rain. It made little sense to her. But then again, there were very few things that made sense to her these days.

She walked over to the adjoining bathroom and splashed some water over her face. She needed to get a grip of her emotions. It was just rain. The lightning and thunder clapped once again, it rattled against the walls. The lights flickered, and suddenly it was dark. Rachel's heart started pounding even harder. For some reason the storm was more intimidating in the dark. Rachel stumbled her way back to her bed. Quickly she buried her head under the covers and waited for the storm to pass.

* * *

Henry awoke early because of the storm. It was quickly turning to a summer typhoon. On Felicity's insistence he made his way to the small farmhouse to tell Rachel she didn't have to work today. However when he reached the house no one answered. He headed for the barn surprised to see her there already.

I see Betty is getting used to you," Henry mused. She jumped at the sound of his voice. When she turned towards him, a look of fear quickly flashed across her face, followed by a look of relief. He could not help but wonder what had happened to make her so jumpy.

"Yes," Rachel answered timidly.

"Do you have candles and other supplies needed for this storm in that old house?" Henry asked. Rachel shook her head. "Go on up to the house then, Felicity will get you all set up. For the duration of the storm, don't worry about having to work."

Rachel couldn't help but stare at her employer for a moment. The kindness that he and his wife had extended had been unexpected.

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked. "I would hate for you to have to do it all alone. At least let me care for the chickens, the henhouse is closer to my house."

Henry looked at her surprised. Most women he had known would have jumped at the opportunity to get out of work; most men for that matter.

"Thank you," he stated. "Now get off to Felicity before she gets worried." Rachel nodded and headed for the big farmhouse.

Rachel couldn't believe how beautiful the inside of the large farmhouse was. Beautiful dark wood furniture and lush carpets filled the house. Rachel found it cozy yet elegant.

"I realized that I didn't furnish you with any candles, or matches. We lose power at least twice a summer. Those typhoons are bad," Felicity advised. Felicity held out a package. "There is some dry goods in there, there should be an old kettle for the fireplace in the house."

"Oh thank you kindly," Rachel stated.

"It's nothing," Felicity stated.

"I should be getting back home," Rachel stated.

"Ok," Felicity stated slightly disappointed.

Rachel quickly left. Rachel could not get the sense that she was in danger out of her mind. She didn't want anyone to be in danger because of her. She had no idea what had happened in her life before coming here, and she was not ready to allow anyone to be hurt because of something she didn't remember.

Rachel set her table for one. For some reason the entire process seemed strange. She felt as if this were something she was never meant to do, which of course was an odd thought. She wanted more than anything to remember, but her brain wouldn't work properly.

"What am I not remembering?" Rachel asked herself. She sighed, she would love nothing more than to stay here in Echo Town, she only hoped that she could.

The summer typhoon had effectively shut down any progress in the search of the girl. Vaughn was irritated that it had come so soon after his arrival. He had hoped to start searching, but it was near impossible in this weather. To make matters worse he was stuck in the Sanatorium with the idiotic doctor.

"So tell me about that sheriff of yours," Vaughn demanded. Alex who had been sitting lazily drinking some coffee, looked up.

"There is not much to say about her," Alex said. "I don't know her well, she is a new Sheriff, only been there for six months. I know that she grew up here in Flowerbud, but that's about it. Why?"

"Why do you think? She's a cop, it's always good to know who your enemy is," Vaughn answered.

"She's not your enemy," Alex countered.

"That's your problem, you have no sense of caution," Vaughn spat out. He was disgusted with the man sitting in front of him. He left the room, knowing that if he stayed there any longer than he would do something that he regret.


	5. Chapter 5

**So the romance is starting in this chapter. Enjoy! **

* * *

The storm finally subsided and the sunshine returned. With it power and life also returned back to Echo Town. Rachel found that all the animals were anxious to be able to get outside. Being cooped up in their respective barns for a few days had made them all antsy. Not that she blamed them, she was feeling the same way. She didn't even attempt to do anything until they were in the fresh sunlight. Today was the first day she was going to attempt to shear the alpaca. The animal was very skittish. Typically it would take a half an hour just to brush him.

Rachel tried to coax him with some treats, but the stubborn animal was having none of it. Whenever she attempted to get near it with the shears, it would let out a loud high pitched noise then run away. She went to plan b and tied a rope around him to get him to stay, but he jumped around do much she was afraid he would hurt himself. Finally giving up she decided it was time to seek help from the one person she knew was an expert in alpacas. She stopped to inform Henry of her impromptu trip.

"That would be wonderful," Henry stated. "I have yet to be able to get that thing to cooperate." With his permission, she made her way over to the mansion.

* * *

Sanjay found himself whistling the same jovial tune he'd been whistling for days. It was starting to irritate Amir, but he couldn't seem to stop singing it. He wasn't even sure how he knew the tune, but it was lovely all the same. The alpacas seemed to enjoy the beautiful melody that he was whistling. He looked up to see the girl who had started his singing coming down the lane. He tried to avoid staring at her, but it was difficult. The girl was quite beautiful. Amir appeared to see her too, he went up to greet the girl. Sanjay sighed. He was a mere servant, he would have no chance against Prince Amir. He stopped whistling. One of the alpacas nudged him.

"None of that," he said calmly. The alpaca made a spitting noise. Sanjay jumped out of the way, and gently patted the alpaca in response. He surruptitiously watched the girl and Amir in their exhanges. Amir pointed in his direction. Sanjay quickly busied himself so it wouldn't appear that he had been watching them.

Rachel walked towards the man who was taking care of the alpacas. The last exchange between them had made her nervous. She had not known how to respond to him. she felt a fluttering in her stomach as she slowly approached the man.

"Hello," Rachel greeted. "Amir stated I could come to you and ask you about your alpacas."

"My alpacas?" Sanjay asked. "What do you need to know about my alpacas?" He was curious as to why this lovely girl was inquiring about his beloved animals.

"Well," Rachel said. "I have an alpaca that I am working with on the farm, and I am just not able to get near it." Sanjay chuckled. Alpacas were certainly finicky creatures. He had learned that himself the hard way many years ago. Rachel did not look so amused.

"Don't be offended my lady," Sanjay stated. "I am not laughing at you. I am laughing about the alpacas. They are tender creatures."

"That's one word for it," Rachel mumbled. She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. There was something surprisingly innocent about this girl. Perhaps it was her amnesia that made her appear so.

"Alpacas can sense your emotions. If you feel tense, or angry or any other emotions besides calm while trying to approach them, they will not allow you to tend to them. What you need to do is relax your mind, and allow the alpaca to get used to you," Sanjay advised. Rachel looked at him dubiously. She was not sure she believed it was that easy. "Come." He held out his hand. Rachel accepted it without thinking. His hand felt warm against hers, she felt herself blushing. He pulled her in front of him, they were inches apart, with an alpaca in front of them. The alpaca started fidgeting.

"You need be calm," Sanjay whispered. That was easier said than done. She was not sure how he expected her to be calm and relax when they were so close to each other. Rachel could feel her heart beating in her chest. She hoped it wasn't beating so loudly that he could hear it as well.

Sanjay couldn't help but indulge himself just a bit where this beautiful girl was involved. He was careful not to be inappropriate, but he was enjoying the proximity to her.

"Calm," he repeated. His voice was melodic and low. Amazingly Rachel felt herself calming down. "Now take a few deep breaths, and hold your hand out to him, don't try to grab him, don't try to touch him." Rachel complied. The alpaca at first did nothing. But eventually it slowly started sniffing her hand.

"What is it doing?" she asked.

"It's getting used to you. Now very slowly, lift your hand up to rub it's head," Sanjay instructed. Rachel complied. The alpaca amazingly didn't move away from her touch. "The trick is slow movements. Do not make any sudden movements, and never try to grab one that isn't comfortable with you yet." Sanjay reached his hand out to pat the alpaca as well. It brushed against Rachel's arm. She felt a shiver of excitement go up her arm. She pulled away. The alpaca jumped, and ran off.

"Sorry," Rachel muttered. "Thank you so kindly for the lesson. Sorry but I must be going." With that she left. Sanjay watched her leave smiling. He wasn't sure exactly what effect he'd had on the small girl, but he knew that she had noticed him, for now, that was enough.


	6. Chapter 6

**Love triangle! I love those if you can't tell :)**

* * *

Alex shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Vaughn had no qualms about blaming Alex for this entire situation. While Alex realized he had some responsibility in this, he knew that it wasn't entirely his fault. He had not realized everything that was going on under his nose, it angered him that he hadn't been more receptive.

"I realize that we need to find her, but she's been gone for days, she could be anywhere," Alex sighed. When he had first started all of this, he had hoped to further medical research. When the first time had fallen apart, he had decided never to do it again. His attention was to keep the promise to himself, but when he had been offered the amount of money to do it again, he could not resist. He needed the money to keep up his failing business, and so he could marry Gina.

"Listen I don't think I gotta tell you he is pissed. We need to figure out where she could have gone, before that pretty little cop figures out what we're doing," Vaughn sneered.

"Listen, even if she does get away, she's not going to know enough to say anything," Alex stated.

"You're an idiot if you think that," Vaughn growled.

* * *

Gwen sat in front of her desk. She didn't like what she was seeing in front of her. She'd done her investigating and Vaughn was no longer a free-lance mercenary, he was now contracted by the Maion Corporation. The company was crooked, yet no one could pin them down for any of their crimes. Vaughn was also no relation to Alex. Which Gwen had already known. In fact, Alex Martin didn't even exist until a few years ago. She had been stalled when trying to find out more information about the doctor. Gwen couldn't help but wonder who he was exactly, and what he'd gotten himself into.

"Afternoon Gwen," her lover Kurt greeted. Gwen smiled at him. He was such a handsome man. She'd loved him from the moment he had been taken in by her grandfather. No one knew of their little affair and she preferred to keep it that way. "I brought you some coffee and lunch from Cafe Kalaui." Gwen could smell the delicious smells from the lunch wafting from the bag. She supposed she could take a short break. She was tired of trying to connect the dots anyway. It made no sense for Alex to be connected to Maion. If he was, it could be dangerous for everyone in Flowerbud.

* * *

Rachel wandered around the festival area. Felicity had insisted she come to the fireworks festival. There were many tables set up with all different kinds of food. She wandered around taking little nibbles of everything. It was elegantly laid out.

"You enjoying yourself pretty lady?" Sanjay whispered in her ear. Rachel blushed. The last time she had seen Sanjay was a week earlier when he'd helped her with the alpaca. She had tried not to think about him, but it was near impossible.

"Yes I am," Rachel replied. Sanjay smiled. Her voice sounded relaxed and calm. She looked stunning this evening in a dark red checkered skirt and black top. Her hair was pulled neatly back in a braid. She wasn't going to win any glamorous awards, but she had an elegance and a grace about her.

"I can't wait for the fireworks to start!" Amir stated. He had come up beside the duo.

"I can't remember if I've ever seen fireworks," Rachel replied.

"Why don't you come sit with us?" Amir invited. "Let those two lovebirds be on their own."

"Oh thank you," Rachel stated. She was a bit unnerved by Amir's outgoing personality. She much preferred the quiet soft spoken Sanjay. But she was also still more unnerved around Henry. While he wasn't mean to her, he wasn't exactly nice either.

"Fireworks are beautiful, I'm sure they are something you'd remember if you ever saw them," Amir advised. He hooked his arm through Rachel's. There was no rush of emotions or blush creeping to her face with Amir's touch. She allowed him to lead her to their ornate blanket.

Sanjay sighed. Amir was always able to woo any lady he wanted. Sanjay knew he would give up almost anything for his young boss, but wasn't sure if he'd give up Rachel. He'd developed quite an attraction to the small girl. The three settled onto the blanket. Rachel glanced over at Sanjay, and quickly looked away when he caught her eye. He couldn't be sure because of the darkness, but he thought he saw the faintest hint of a blush on her cheeks. This pleased him.

"How is your alpaca?" Sanjay asked. Rachel's face fell slightly.

"Ok, still won't let me shear him," she but her bottom lip, a move Sanjay found incredibly sexy.

"It takes a while," Sanjay advised.

"I still can't get near mine," Amir stated. "That's why I let him take care of them." Amir pointed in Sanjay's direction. Sanjay backed down from the conversation. Amir's personality was much more exuberant than his. Rachel and Amir chatted lightly before the fireworks began. Sanjay participated when he could, but it was clear Amir had not invited Rachel over for Sanjay's benefit.

Rachel was slightly disappointed that Amir took over most of the conversation. She wanted to talk more to the other man. When the fireworks finally started, she was equally awed and terrified. The loud booming noise frightened her. She didn't understand why, but for sone reason she felt afraid again. She was glad when they were finally over and she could retreat to the safety of her home.

* * *

_She couldn't see. There was a bright light shining in her eyes. All she could see were shadows. She knew they were male from the sounds of their muffled voice._

_"Hold her down," one ordered. She felt rough hands on her arms and legs. Suddenly there was a sharp prick from a large needle in her leg. She screamed and kicked._

_"I told you to hold her down!" The same voice barked out. She felt herself losing the battle as two men held her down. Tears were streaming down her face as she felt the sharp needle again._

* * *

Rachel sat up in bed. The nightmares were so frequent, so vivid. She was in a cold sweat. Her heart was pounding. She could feel nothing but fear. She turned the light on, she threw her blankets off her legs to reveal scars on both of her legs. They looked like they were from needles. Rachel was not sure if those were dreams or memories. She gently touched the scars she saw. They frightened her. She quickly covered them up and laid back down in bed, trying to forget about her dream and the scars. Finally she drifted back to sleep, with the light still on_._


	7. Chapter 7

**more crazy stuff ahead. If you're confused there's a reason behind it. It will all make sense eventually. **

* * *

There was something soothing about tending to the animals. Rachel immersed herself in her work, trying to keep herself distracted from the nightmare. She couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that the dreams she was having were more than just dreams. Especially since she seemed to have corresponding scars on her body. She had a feeling that these dreams were memories. If they were memories, it was horrifying.

Rachel allowed her thoughts to drift to Sanjay instead. A warm flush crept into her cheeks. Rachel found him incredibly handsome. He had been so kind to her. Rachel sighed, a man like that would find little interest in a girl with no memory. Besides which, Rachel didn't even know if she was free to have feelings for anyone.

"Easy there Betty," Rachel soothed. The finicky cow fought against Rachel's attempt to milk her this morning. Betty mooed back her response. Rachel giggled lightly. Animals had such an honest aura about them. She wished life were as simple as just taking care of the animals. "I wish I could remember my life before this."

Later that afternoon Rachel was wandering around the mountain area, when she ran into a bubbly girl.

"Hi," the girl greeted. "I've heard so much about you! My name is Tina, I'm a journalist."

"Hello," Rachel answered. The girl standing before her smiled happily. She had short strawberry blonde hair, and was wearing a bright orange vest over a plain white T-shirt. Her style was very eccentric. Rachel liked how friendly she seemed, but something about her being a journalist made her uncomfortable.

"I'd love to do an article about you," Tina said. Rachel's heartbeat quickened. She couldn't help but feel afraid of the concept of a public story about her.

"I would rather you didn't," Rachel stated. Tina looked at her curiously.

"Oh?" Tina asked.

"I'm sorry," Rachel mumbled. "I should get going." Rachel walked away from the girl with hurried steps.

Tina stood pondering the interaction between the new girl and herself. The investigator in her couldn't help but be curious about the girl's evasiveness. Tina was never one to back down from a juicy scoop, and this was was certainly sounding promising.

* * *

Vaughn arrived in a small town called Konohana. He wasn't sure what he'd find, but this was a start. Konohana bordered Flowerbud. It had a very eastern feel to it. He stopped at the tea house. He knew from experience in small towns that people were unwilling to share info with strangers. Especially someone like him.

"Welcome to Konohana," an older woman greeted. She looked at Vaughn suspiciously.

"Thank you Ma'am," Vaughn greeted in his friendliest tone.

"My name is Yun, what can I get for you?" she asked.

"Name's Mark. I'm just traveling through. Saw this place and decided to stop in," Vaughn stated. Yun's eyes narrowed.

"Don't get much through traffic here in Konohana," Yun replied. Vaughn sighed. Getting information out of her would be harder than he'd anticipated.

Yun was a woman who'd seen many con artists in her life. Her late husband had been one. She could spot someone who was lying a mile away. This stranger was holding something back. Yun could also see his pistol holstered under his jacket. People in these parts had no need to carry around weapons.

"Just lookin for something to eat and a place to rest," The stranger replied.

"Well you can get food here," Yun replied. "As for rest we only have the town hall, no Inn."

"That'll be fine with me," he replied. Yun smiled stiffly at the stranger. Hopefully he wouldn't be in town for too long.


	8. Chapter 8

**Once again the ambiguity here is for a reason. Thanks for reading! More of the puzzle to come soon **

* * *

Tina couldn't resist snooping just a bit. The new girl had left such a tantalizing story dangling in her face. The quick denial only intensified her curiosity. Tina wanted to get this story even more. But she wasn't sure how to even start to investigate someone who supposedly didn't remember her past. Tina couldn't help but be suspicious about Rachel. Something didn't add up. Tina very rarely took things at face value. She'd learned a long time ago to look farther into things. It was what had made her decide to become a reporter in the first place. The only problem was that Tina didn't know where to start. She decided since Neil was the first to see the girl, she would start there.

"Good morning Neil," Tina greeted. The blond haired animal dealer was standing behind his normal counter in the town square.

"Are you here to shop?" Neil asked.

"No, I've got some questions for you," Tina explained. Neil sighed.

"If you're not here to buy anything, don't waste my time," Neil grumbled. Tina knew that Neil could be abrasive, but she was persistent. She hadn't become a reporter without being persistent.

"I just have a few questions about the new girl, you were the one who found her right?" Tina asked.

"Yes," Neil answered.

"Can you tell me anything about her?" Tina asked.

"Why are you asking me? I just found her. Dunhill would know more," Neil stated. He turned away from Tina to tend to one of his animals. Tina sighed. Clearly she wasn't going to get any information out of Neil.

* * *

Rachel decided her favorite part of the day was wandering in the mountain area. She had taken to gathering herbs and other various fruits. But she knew that what really was her favorite part was running into Sanjay wandering around. When she was around him, she would forget about her fears for a brief moment. She liked running into him in the mountains, because then he'd be by himself, instead of having Amir with him. It would give her a chance to talk to Sanjay.

"Ah my lady," Sanjay greeted softly. "How nice to see you. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were following me into the mountains." Rachel blushed. It was true that she had hoped to see him, but she certainly wasn't following him. Sanjay enjoyed watching her cheeks turn a bright pink color, one of the few innocent pleasures afforded to him.

"Just gathering herbs," Rachel mumbled.

"What is it you do with all those wonderful herbs?" Sanjay asked.

"I'm working on making some herb recipes, I just came up with a new recipe for herb cheese yesterday," Rachel explained.

"Ah, I would love to try this cheese of yours sometime," Sanjay stated.

"Oh I'm not even s-sure it's good," Rachel stammered.

"Well I'd still love to try it," he insisted. Rachel looked at the ground. She was not sure how to react. She wondered how her former self reacted in these situations. At that moment she remembered that she might not be available to have these thought or feelings. What if she had a husband or boyfriend looking for her?

"I am sure I can arrange that," Rachel replied. "But I must get going," Rachel took her leave before she said or did anything to embarrass herself. It was hard to ignore the attraction she felt for the silvery haired man. She wanted to make sure that having feelings for him was okay. She needed to remember.

* * *

"I'm looking for Doctor Alex Martin," the man advised. Gwen was standing in the mayor's office when this tall handsome man had walked in. The stranger had light blonde hair and was impeccably dressed in a tailored suit. Gwen couldn't get the feeling that he looked familiar.

"Another cousin of his?" Gwen asked sardonically. She was curious as to why there were so many strangers coming into Flowerbud for Alex.

"No, I'm a business associate of his, in a manner of speaking. My name is Will Regison III," the man informed.

"THE Will Regison? CEO of Maion Corporation?" Gwen asked. That was where she recognized him from. She couldn't believe she hadn't realized it before hand. She wondered what business Alex and Will had together. Will Regison was not exactly the type of man to work with a small town doctor. There was something definitely suspicious going on.

"The one and only," Will replied. Gwen could tell he was waiting for her to fawn all over him. She felt her stomach turn, but instead she pasted a dazzling smile on her face.

"Well Mr Regison, I'm the sheriff here," Gwen said, with a light flirtation in her voice. "Let me personally escort you to the Sanatorium."

* * *

Alex grumbled under his breath. Vaughn had tasked him with scouring through local newspapers to see if he could find any stories about the missing girl. He had spent hours searching and reading. His head was pounding. The "Echo Town Gazette" sat on his desk. Alex felt like tossing the paper. Nothing exciting ever happened in these stupid towns. Every newspaper identical. Who won this festival? Who's getting married? Alex had better things to do.

The door to the Sanatorium opened and Sheriff Winters walked in with Mr Regison. Alex groaned. This he did not need.

"Mornin' Alex," Gwen greeted cheerily. "You're one popular person these days." Alex studied her face for any double meaning. She was smiling brightly. He was relieved that the young girl was foolish enough to not suspect a thing.

"Mr. Regison," Alex greeted, forcing his voice to be calm. "So nice to see you here."

"Well I'll be going," Gwen stated. "You all have a day. I have to say I'm a little star stuck at meeting you Mr. Regison." Gwen turned around and walked away.

Will watched to make sure the cop was well on her way. There was no need for any small time cop to get in his way. At least she appeared to be too awestruck by him to realize that his visit here was suspicious. He couldn't have anyone snooping around, He was angry that he was even here.

"You know why I'm here?" Will asked.

"Project Rachel?" Alex asked.

"Damn right! How could you screw this up? Do you know what's riding on the line here?" Will asked.

"Mr. Regison..." Alex started. Will came close up into Alex's face.

"Let me tell you something. I have a lot invested in this. This is not just about science and money here! The woman I love is at risk here!"

"I u-understand," Alex stammered.

"Do you?" Will asked. His voice was dangerously soft. "Then why aren't you looking harder?"

"I am!" Alex stated.

"If this doesn't get fixed, I'll personally make sure you regret it," Will threatened. He left the Sanatorium and Doctor Martin. He was tired of having to clean up this mess.


	9. Chapter 9

**Not much romance here just advancement of story.**

* * *

"How can you not find it at all strange and suspicious that this girl claims she doesn't remember anything, but also doesn't want a story out there about her so we can find out who she is? Have you ever considered that perhaps she is hiding something?" Tina asked Dunhill. She had come to Dunhill's house to ask more about Rachel. When she had informed Dunhill that she'd gotten nowhere with neither Rachel nor Neil. Dunhill had told her that perhaps if Rachel did not feel comfortable telling her story, that Tina should let it drop.

"Tina," Dunhill said softly. "I don't think that there's anything sinister happening here."

"How do you know?" Tina asked. "She could be a criminal on the run!"

"Don't you think if she were a criminal on the run, you'd have heard about it by now?" Dunhill asked. "I know that you have your connecteions."

"I still think you're being niave Dunhill. Not everyone tells the truth you know!" Tina insisted. She knew that her criminal theory was bunk. Dunhill was right, she'd have found out by now

"You should probably let this drop Tina," Dunhill stated. "You are also not looking at the other side of this. What if she doesn't want you to publish the story because she's in danger, if that's the case, then we need to do what we can to protect her."

"Why do you care so much about someone you hardly know?" Tina asked exasperated.

"I care about all the people who live in this town, Tina," Dunhill explained. Tina sighed aggravated. Clearly she wasn't going to get anywhere with him either. That left Klaus. He was not the most pleasant person to deal with, but hopefully he would see to reason. She liked Dunhill, but he tended to be an idealist. He saw everyone as goodhearted and gave everyone the benefit of the doubt. Tina knew from her investigations that people often didn't deserve it.

Dunhill chuckled at Tina's exasperation. Tina reminded him so much of his late wife. She had Tina's spunk and determination. He grew sad thinking of his dear Ellen. She had been such a lovely woman. Dunhill sighed. He missed his wife so much some days.

* * *

Vaughn was getting nowhere in Konohana. It was obvious that people there didn't trust any outsiders. The neighboring town of bluebell was no better. He'd only been there a few days, and it was obvious that the girl was not here. He needed to move on before people got too suspicious.

Zephyr Town was next on his list. He sighed heavily. This was tedious work searching for this girl, but Will was his best friend, and married to his sister. He would have done anything for the two of them. The money was merely a perk. His loyalty to Will was dusty and foremost. Vaughn usually liked more excitement than this, but this time, the job was personal. He hadn't really liked the plan, but Vaughn could understand, love was a bond that could make typically sane logical men do crazy things. This certainly qualified as crazy. Vaughn hoped his presense in Zephyr Town was more accepted than it was in Konohana.

"Well hello stranger!"a large man greeted. "Welcome to Zephyr Town. Did you come for our famous Bazaar?"

"Yes," Vaughn lied.

"Well then, let me bring you over there. Name's Felix," he replied.

"Mark," Vaughn answered. He knew the real Mark would be none to happy knowing that Vaughn was using his name, but at least he wasn't giving any last names.

"Well then Mark, let's get you over to the Bazaar. Should just be starting. We got us a new girl farmer who's really improved the place." A new girl? That certainly sounded promising. He would have to go check out the bazaar and this new farmer.

* * *

_The room was stark white with only one bed. A faceless man came into the room with a tray of food. She cowered away from him._

_"Eat your food, we need you to be stong and healthy for Mr. Regison," the man stated. Instead of taking the tray, she tossed flipped it over. The man was angry now, he raised his hand and slapped her across her face. It stung, but she felt some satisfaction at the small act of defiance._

Rachel froze. She wasn't sure where that memory came from. She was struggling to hold onto the memory that had flashed through her brain. The harder she tried to remember more details, the more fuzzy the memory became. Her head started to pound, and she tried to relax herself but she couldn't. She knew that the man in her memory was someone she should fear. She now had a name. Mr Regison. She needed to find out more about this Mr Regison. If she only knew a first name. But at least this was a start.

Later Rachel walked to Dunhill's house. His house held a small library with a few computers.

"Hello my dear, how are you adjusting to farm work?" Dunhill asked.

"It's great," Rachel replied. "May I use one of your computers?"

"Of course you may,"Dunhill said. He guided her to the small room where he kept them. Rachel thanked him, then he left her alone to her research. She wasn't sure where to start. For some reason it felt very familiar for her to be at the computer like this. She typed in the name Regison. The main thing that came back was something called Maion Corporation. A chill went through Rachel's body. Her hand froze above the mouse. She was afraid to click on any of the links about Maion. It's dark blue logo showing up on the web search almost paralized her with fear. What about this corporation had her so terrified? Slowly Rachel forced herself to open the first link. A bright page with pictures of smiling people popped up. A man in an impeccable white suit with bright blonde hair was shown in the center. Underneath his picture read "Will Regison III CEO"

Rachel was certain she had never met this man before, but she had heard his name. It had come clearly through in her memory. She stared at his picture. In a classic sense he was a very handsome man, but something about his smile made Rachel's stomach turn.

"Will Regison," Rachel said aloud. The name sounded more ominous as she said it aloud. There was something chilling about it. As she studied his picture more she noticed that his smile didn't reach his eyes. She couldn't help but feel afraid of him. Rachel quickly scrolled down so his picture no longer showed on the immersed herself in reading more about this corporation.

* * *

Gwen sat at her desk looking at the report. Vaughn was looking for something, or someone. He had moved from Flowerbud to Konohana. There had been a report made about a strange man named "Mark" asking strange questions in the small twin Towns area. If Maion Corporation was looking for someone, Gwen had no doubt in her mind it was due to illegal human testing. It was time to call in some reinforcements.


	10. Chapter 10

**If you've read my Agent and Farmer story, the scene with Gwen is a reference to that fiction :)**

* * *

Rachel stood in the doorway of the small room in Dunhill's house. She wanted to talk to him, but wasn't sure how to even start, or what she wanted to say. Most people would think she's crazy. Rachel often wondered herself if she was crazy. After reading about Maion Corporation, her head hurt. The corporation seemed to be in some hot water over illegal human testing. She wondered if she could have been one of those test subjects?

"Did you find what you needed?" Dunhill asked.

"Kind of," Rachel stated. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure thing," Dunhill replied.

"I think I remember some stuff. But I'm still not sure who I am, but I think I'm in danger," Rachel confessed. Dunhill didn't look as surprised as she thought he would by her admission.

"Why do you think that?" Dunhill asked.

"Call it a hunch," Rachel replied.

"Okay well if that's the case, we better figure out who you are," Dunhill stated.

"No story!" Rachel insisted. "I don't want this public!"

"That's not what I meant," Dunhill assured. Rachel relaxed a bit. It was nice having someone know about her fears, even if she hadn't told him very many details.

After she left, Dunhill instantly went into the room to check the search history on his computer. He knew Rachel was holding back something from him. To his surprise, Rachel had deleted all her search history. He couldn't help but wonder if Tina's hunch was right.

"Now don't go thinking that old man," Dunhill scolded himself. "If she is in danger than she needs this town's help."

* * *

Agent Jack Barnett strode into the restaurant to meet sheriff Gwen. Jack was one of the few federal agents Gwen trusted. She sighed with relief. She could tell when a case was going beyond her pay grade, and this case was certainly turning into something big.

"What's up Winters?" Jack sat down at the table across from her. Gwen smirked. Jack was accustomed to women falling all over him. Gwen was never one of those women. Jack was old in that distinguished way that many women found attractive. They had worked together a few times in the city. Her failing to fall all over Jack, was what made their friendship so strong.

"So I hear your agency has some craziness going on," Gwen replied.

"Yeah, well, you know. My boss was fired from the Undercover Unit, he was apparently running some huge drug business on Flowerbud Island, and then the director's daughter quit. I didn't even know the director's daughter worked for the agency."

"Wow," Gwen stated. "I couldn't imagine finding out that my superior was committing some crime." She had heard of the fiasco in question. Flowerbud Village had gotten its name from the island in question.

"More than just drugs, he also murdered some associates," Jack replied.

"Wow, no wonder the agency has been on lockdown lately," Gwen said.

"Yup, I was ready to get out for a bit, so tell me. Whatchya got?" Jack asked.

"I got a possible case here, dealing with Maion Corporation," Gwen replied. She knew Jack would be more than interested. Jack had been trying to catch Will Regison III for years. Nothing that he ever found stuck.

"Now you've got my interest," Jack replied.

"Remember Vaughn?" Gwen asked. Jack's scowl answered the question clearly for her.

"Maion's new hired hand?" Jack asked.

"Oh you know about that?" Gwen asked.

"It's my job to know these things," Jack stated. "So, word is that he's gone off the radar."

"He was in Flowerbud last week. From local reports he was just in Konohana. He's going by the name Mark," Gwen informed. Jack looked excited. It was obvious that Jack had no idea where Vaughn had slipped off to.

"What's he doing?" Jack asked.

"Looking for someone," Gwen stated.

"Do you think he'll be back?" Jack asked.

"I'm sure of it," Gwen asserted.

"Well looks like I'll be staying here for a while," Jack replied. "I'll need a cover."

"How do you feel bout farming?" Gwen asked with a smirk. She knew that his last, long undercover assignment had been as a farmer. Jack scowled at her. "Just kidding, be a wandering vagabond looking for a job. Of course you're going to have to get out of that suit. My friend Lyla is looking for done help. She runs a seed shop."

"I guess that's better than farming," Jack mused. Gwen laughed.

"When can you come?" Gwen asked.

"As soon as I clear it with my boss," Jack answered.

* * *

Vaughn looked at the new farmer in Zephyr Town. She was quite tall and sturdy. The girl introduced herself as Anita. This was not the girl he was looking for.

"You going to buy anything handsome?" Anita asked him with a wink. Vaughn put on his best smile. The woman really was quite homely looking.

"What's this sell for?" He asked, picking up a small jug of milk.

"What will you give me for it cutie pie? A kiss perhaps?" Anita asked. Vaughn hid his revulsion and merely smiled at the woman.

"Those I don't give out so easily," Vaughn replied.

"Tell ya what, this one's on the house handsome. I do hope you come to our Bazaar again," Anita cooed. Vaughn thanked the farmer and went on his way. He needed to regroup with Alex back in Flowerbud, to see what he had found looking through local papers. Vaughn was sick of running into dead ends, and time was running out.


	11. Chapter 11

**So this is turning more into a crossover story than I intended, but I hope you like it! I like the way it's turning :)**

* * *

Lyla Stark was a hopeless romantic. She adored romance novels and movies, and she would fantasize about her perfect man who would one day stroll into her seed shop and wisk her off her feet. She knew that such fantasies were highly unrealistic, but she still had them anyway. She was a soft spoken woman with long flowing pink locks with beautiful eyes the color of coral. While she knew there were a few men in town who would have readily been willing to fill the role of being with her, she was not interested in any of them. Lyla sighed, as she rang up another customer. Her life had become something of a mundane existence of transaction after transaction. On top of that, she needed help, but finding an employee was hard. Small towns had very few people who were looking for a job. She heard the jingle of the bells and lifted her head. There was always that hope that the jingle might indicate her dream man was walking through that door. Instead she saw the smiling face of Gwen. Lyla smiled sweetly. Gwen was her best friend, she was always happy to see her. It had hard when Gwen had left for the city, but now she was back and Lyla was glad. Behind Gwen, a man entered wearing a baggy pair of jeans and an old tattered shirt.

"Still looking for help?" Gwen asked.

"Yes," Lyla replied, she felt herself feeling a bit breathless. This man was exactly the type of man that she had always dreamed of. She wondered if she really were dreaming now.

"I think I've got your man," Gwen stated. "This is Jack. He's been going from town to town looking for work." Lyla took a look at the man. Even through his tattered clothing she could see the faint outlines of muscle. His face didn't look like the typical wanderer or vagabond. There was still an elegance about him. She wondered what had happened to make him so down on his luck.

"Of course, I'd love to hire him," Lyla replied. She smiled sweetly at the man introduced as Jack. He was certainly handsome, and easily ten years her senior.

"Thank you kindly ma'am," Jack said.

"Please call me Lyla," she said. Jack smiled carefully back at her. He could see clearly that this woman had found him attractive. He was not here to have any type of relationship. He would have to be careful, Lyla was one of those particularly delicately beautiful women. He would have to be careful. Women in small towns were not looking for flings, they were looking for husbands. Jack was certainly not the marrying type.

"Well I'll let you two get acquainted," Gwen replied. She shot Jack a look of warning. He read it loud and clear. He smiled back in return.

* * *

Doctor Klaus Sorenson was an ornery old man who disliked people, but loved medicine. He loved gaining more knowledge and learning. He had worked at a large hospital for a few years, which had been wonderful. He had been let go because of his lack of "bedside manner." Klaus fumed when thinking of such things. He had been one of the more brilliant doctors there, and they had let him go. He had been reduced to opening a practice here in the small Echo Town, which was far beneath him.

The door opened, he sighed wondering what minor ailment he was going to have to take care of today. He turned to see Tina, the town's journalist.

"Good morning Dr. Klaus,"' Tina said cheerily. She walked up to the counter. "I was wondering what you can tell me about the new girl."

"What?" Klaus asked shortly.

"I'm interested in doing a story about the new girl, "Tina advised. "I was wondering if there was any information about her that you could shed some light on for me. "Klaus looked at Tina with a scowl on his face. As much as he disliked people, he disliked nosy people even less.

"Why don't you go straight to the source? "Klaus asked.

"I've already tried that," Tina informed. "She won't tell me a thing. But I don't have a bad feeling about her. I think she's hiding something. I want to find out what it is."

"Everybody's hiding something," the doctor replied. "Why don't you just let this drop. Clearly she doesn't want an article written about her. If she's not willing to give you the information, neither am I." It was no loyalty that he felt to Rachel that caused him to react in such a way, rather then his annoyance with the journalist for not respecting someone else's privacy. He himself was a private man. Who did not share a lot of information about his life before coming to Echo Town. He knew that people kept secrets for a reason. And even if those secrets made somebody suspicious, there were always reasons behind them.

Tina felt frustrated. She was getting nowhere. This was possibly a story of a lifetime. This was the type of story that did not come around very often here in this little town. This was the type of story that could possibly get her recognized, and no one seemed to be cooperating with her. Every turn she took she would hit another dead end. But Tina had a determination in her that most people did not. While many would have given up at this dead end, Tina was determined to press further. Tina had not accomplished all she had done and her young life by being a pushover. Tina would get her story

* * *

Rachel wondered if talking to Dunhill had been a good idea or not. She had always felt a sense of danger, ever since she had woken up in the middle of Echo Town square. She didn't know whether or not she could fully trust Dunhill, but she needed someone who would be on her side. The most frustrating part was, she didn't even know what that meant. What did it mean to be on Rachel's side? What was this thing that she feared so much, but could not remember?

If she could remember what she needed to, perhaps she could keep herself safe, along with everybody else in this village. Rachel wondered if she should leave for the safety of this community. But then where would she go? She did not know what she had gotten herself into prior to arriving to this town. And she did not know what would happen once she figured it out. She also knew that the nosy journalist was still poking around. Tina was trying to find out more about Rachel and her past. Rachel laughed when she thought of this, for Rachel herself was doing the same thing. It's was quite ironic, that Tina wanted to know about her past, and Rachel would have given anything to be able to tell her.

Then, there was Sanjay. He was an incredibly handsome man, who seemed to be giving her attention. Rachel wasn't sure if he was always the gentleman, or if there was some interest. It seemed almost absurd to her, that there would be interest in her considering that she was a mere girl who had no memory. He was a man in the employment of a rich prince. Sanjay himself seemed to have an air of royalty to him. Yes, he was a servant, but he wasn't a common servant. There was something different about his mannerisms. Rachel also struggled with her attraction to him because of her lack of memory. She hated to think that perhaps there was a family she had left behind. Perhaps there was someone out there who loved her, and was waiting for her return Rachel could not just allowing her feelings for Sanjay to develop when she didn't know these answers.

"I wish I could remember, "Rachel said to no one. She was standing near a beautiful spring in the mountains. It was a spring that she often loved to come to. Rachel couldn't describe exactly why she loved the spring, but there was something almost spiritual about the place. Rachel heard a soft whisper that seems to rustle through the leaves of the trees surrounding the spring. "Look inside your heart" she heard a whisper though the trees. Rachel looked around, to see if anyone was standing near her. Perhaps she was losing her mind? Perhaps the nights of little sleep with horrifying nightmares was finally catching up to her. No one was around her, she stood alone. So who could it have been, that had whispered her that answer? It made sense that she could be losing her mind. She started to walk away, when she heard a commotion behind her she whirled around, to see a beautiful lady emerging from the water. She had green hair, and a flowing dress, and a bright light glowed around her. Rachel had never seen anything or anyone so beautiful in her life before. Once again Rachel wondered if she were hallucinating. Then the beautiful figure from the water start speaking.

"My child, "the figure replied. "I am the Harvest Goddess. It is not within my power to interfere with human interaction, but I need to warn you. My child I cannot tell you more than this, but the danger you feel, is real. Trust no one, outside of the villagers of this town please heed my warning my sweet child."With that said, the figures slowly descended back into the water.

"Wait! "Rachel shouted. "Please tell me more! "The figure shook her head and fully descended below the water. Rachel stood, wondering what had just happened. Who was this harvest Goddess? She needed answers. She walked back to Echo Town, wondering who it was she should ask about this mysterious goddess of the spring.

* * *

Incompetency was never something that Vaughn had taken lightly. Incompetency angered him. Vaughn was a professional; someone who got things done, in any means necessary. His boss, the one person that Vaughn had actually ever considered his real friend, needed this project to succeed. Now because of the incompetency of the small-town idiots the project was failing, the girl missing, and time running out. Vaughn was determined, that after this matter was settled, those small-town idiots would pay.

Leaving Zephyr town, had been more difficult than Vaughn had anticipated. Anita that farmer had taken quite a shine to him. She had followed him around like a little puppy for most of the day. He couldn't leave the town with her following him. He had to wait until the nighttime to sneak out of the Inn he was staying at. Of course he left enough money and then some to the innkeeper, but he needed to be on his way. Wherever the girl had gone, she was keeping herself well hidden. Such idiots! He wondered why Will even hired such incompetent fools? Even while thinking it, he knew the answer. Will was a desperate man. He knew that Will had been grasping at straws when he had found the small-town doctor. His friend needed this and Vaughn was determined not to let him down.

The doctor did not seem to pleased to see Vaughn back in the Sanatorium, a fact which Vaughn decided to make work to his advantage. This doctor needed to feel the discomfort that Will must be feeling at this moment. It had been his fault in the first place.

"Have you found anything?" Vaughn asked roughly.

"Nothing unusual has been reported in any of these papers, "Alex answered him. Vaughn could hear the nervousness in the doctor's voice. He stepped closer to the doctor until they were inches apart. Vaughn said nothing. He simply stood hovering over the doctor, enjoying the look of fear that crossed the doctor's face.

"Then you better start looking harder," Vaughn advised.

Alex turned away from Vaughn. How he hated this man. He hated everything that was happening. Vaughn was the type of man that one didn't mess with. Alex knew Vaughn was not past hurting someone else to get to Alex. He thought of all the people in this town, there were many that he held very dear to him. He would need to make sure, that Vaughn did nothing to hurt him or anyone else in the town. They needed to find the girl so he could finally be rid of the wretched man standing behind him.


	12. Chapter 12

**Now you know who / what Rachel is. Wasn't going to reveal this early, but it felt right with the flow. **

* * *

Rachel wasn't sure what to think of her encounter in the mountain. A part of her still wondered if she'd been hallucinating. The figure had warned her against trusting any outsiders. Why would she have imagined something like that? As crazy as it seemed, Rachel felt as if this had been a real encounter. She sighed. She didn't know anymore what was real and what was fake. She was having flashbacks of memories which seemed too extreme to be real, yet too vivid to be imagined. Rachel wondered who she really was. Perhaps she was an escaped mental patient? Most of her "memories" had included her being tested on. It would certainly explain her seeing the harvest goddess. Then again, would a person who had been in a mental institution really have such logical thoughts? Her head hurt just thinking about it. It was terrifying in its own right to have no recollection of the past. Something in her urged her to keep searching for the truth. She tried as hard as she could to hold on to the glimpses of memories that would go through her mind so fleetingly. It hurt her mind at times to think about.

Rachel decided after the occurance with the Harvest Goddess, it was time to go home. She needed to rest her mind for a bit. When she appeared in the farmyard she saw Tina talking to Henry. He looked rather displeased at the converstaion. Rachel was sure that Tina was asking Henry questions about her. For some unknown reason that journalist had a determination to get Rachel's story out there. Henry waved Rachel over to where they were standing. She could hear Henry clearly speaking with Tina at this point.

"Look if you want to know about her, why don't you ask her yourself?" Henry asked. It was evident by the tone in his voice that he was annoyed with the conversation that he was having with the young journalist. Tina turned to look at Rachel with a scowl planted on her face. Rachel looked stoically back at the girl. She was not going to give into any emotions that she might feel for this girl.

"I don't trust you," Tina stated. She stood close to Rachel. Tina was a good three or four inches taller, so she was looking down in Rachel's face. "I am going to find out what it is you are hiding!"

"Why can't you accept that maybe I am not hiding anything at all?" Rachel asked.

"I will figure it out," Tina replied, ignoring Rachel's comment.

"You know I think you've asked enough questions, I would like you to get off my property now," Henry interjected. He stood between Tina and Rachel.

Henry felt no loyalty to Rachel, but he knew that Felicity did. He loved his wife so dearly and would do anything for her. Felicity would not stand for Tina insulting Rachel in such a manner on their property.

Rachel was once again surprised by this act of kindness by her employer. She took the opportunity to stand behind him. She was still a bit frazzled from her encounter in the mountains, and to come home to Tina threatening her, was not something she could handle at this moment.

"I will still run this story!" Tina shouted. "None of you can stop me!" At that moment Felicity came out of the house. She looked quite upset at all the yelling going on in her yard.

"Just what is happening?" Felicity asked. Tina turned to Felicity, at one point they had been really good friends. She could only hope that her friendship with Felicity was enough to gain her access to what she needed.

"I just got kicked off your farm! That's what happened!" Tina exclaimed.

"Now just one minute!" Henry exploded. If there was one thing he could not stand it was people who told half truths to make themselves look better. "I kicked her off because of the way she was treating Rachel!" Felicity looked bewildered. She did not know what to think about the situation that she had stumbled into. She wanted to believe the best in everyone. Would Tina really be rude to someone? Felicity turned instead to Rachel.

"What happened?" She asked. Rachel lifted her head. She had not expected to be a part of this conversation any longer.

"I came back to the farm and Tina was hassling me, Henry was standing up for me, Tina told me she was going to get my story one way or the other. The thing that she doesn't understand is that there is a reason why I don't want my story out there!" Rachel burst out. She was angry with Tina for being so persistant.

"Hello you don't have to talk like I'm not standing right here!" Tina shouted waving her arms back and forth. The sarcasm in her voice was thick. "Why are you so intent on hiding? What are you hiding?"

"Tina," Felicity interjected. "How do you know she is hiding something?"

"How can you all be so naive?" Tina asked. "Whatever! I will get my story!" She stormed off the farm. Rachel sighed. She was grateful for her employers for standing up for her, but she was running out of time. Clearly Tina was going to post her story, then it would be out there. She needed to remember, before the story hit the public.

* * *

Small Town America, every country song immortalized it to a level near heaven. To Vaugn it was his own brand of hell. Small towns were full of nosy people who were always in everyone's business. Gossip ran rampant, and nothing was ever kept a secret. He only hoped that if the girl was close, that fact would be her undoing. It was the doctor's fault in the first place.

Vaughn closed his eyes. He thought of the reason behind all of this. His beautiful sister, Chelsea Rachel Regison. Chelsea, his baby sister, had fallen in love for his best friend. It was the oldest, most cliche story ever, but Vaughn would have done anything for her happiness, and for Will's. When Chelsea had fallen ill it had been devastating. She was experiencing multiple organ failure with no cure. She needed multiple transplants, but getting those were difficult. She'd been given five years to live, four years ago.

When Will had presented the idea to him, Vaughn had thought he was crazy, but as Will provided more and more information, He was able to convince Vaughn that it was the best way to be able to save his little sister. Will had heard of a doctor in who had experimented in replication of living organisms such as animals. He had never tested this on humans. The replication had been banned and the doctor had disappeared, but Will used his resources to find the Doctor hiding out, licking his wounds in Flowerbud.

When Will had proposed that to Doctor Martin, that he try his replication on a human, He had been more than happy offer up his lab. Will had the unlimited resources needed to fund such a project, even if it was highly illegal. "Project Rachel" as they'd called it was well underway. But the stupid doctor had wanted to do more than just replicate. He wanted to see if he could teach the girl things. So in the time it took her to stabilize and have all the tests done to insure Chelsea would be safe accepting organs and other such needed material from her, the girl had learned to talk, walk, and become a whiz at computers. Then she'd escaped. For two years they waited for the girl to stabilize, and those idiots who guarded her had allowed her to escape! And now Chelsea only had a year at best!

"Damn it!" Vaughn shouted slamming his fist against the table. Alex looked up from his paperwork. Gina his nurse stood with her mouth agape, staring at Vaughn. She was not accustomed to such language. Martha the old receptionist glowered at Vaughn.

"Young man I'll have none of that language in here," Martha chastised.

"Sorry ma'am," Vaughn muttered. He was a lot of things, but his grandmother had always taught him to respect his elders "I was just thinking bout something. I suppose it'd be a good idea to go outside for a walk and cool off some."

"I quite agree with that," Martha replied with a beaming smile. Vaughn tipped his hat and left.

* * *

Don't look at Jack, Lyla thought to herself. It was quite impossible not to stare at him. She liked watching as he moved easily around her shop. He was not quite the person that she pictured to be in her employ, but he would get the job done. He was, however, the type of man she's always dreamed off. Muscular, earthy, and a bit rugged around the edges. Even his age didn't bother her at all. He was handsome in a way that no one else in town was. She found herself staring at him all too often, and daydreams would follow.

The bells on her door jangled, abruptly pulling Lyla out of her current daydream about her handsome employee. Her friend Louis walked through the small doorway of her shop. He was such a sweet man in his lab coat and thick rimmed black glasses. Lyla dearly loved him, but as a friend. Unfortunately, he was madly in love with Lyla.

"Hi Lyla," Louis stated. "I'm here to check your seed combiner. How's it working?" Lyla blushed. With Jack being in the store she hadn't even used it. Louis was an inventor. and he had brought her over a new seed combiner just last week. He was always bringing her some sort of gadget to make her life easier. She often felt bad taking them, but when she once tried to refuse, he had almost cried. So Lyla accepted them and allowed him his pick of any flowers in her shop. He seemed to accept them as a fair trade. She only hoped that he wouldn't expect her love in return. She was less willing to give that out so freely.

"To be honest Louis I haven't even used it yet. I've been so busy with my new help around. Jack this is my friend Louis!" Lyla called.

Jack emerged from the back room he was working in. He sized up Louis very quickly. He was a brainy, intellectual, nerdy type. He could easily see that the poor man was in love with Lyla, who had very sternly put him in the friend zone. Not that he blamed the man, Lyla was gorgeous. Louis' glare seemed to bore holes through Jack. It was clear that Louis did not like the fact that another man was around Lyla. He inwardly laughed and was half tempted to assure the man that nothing was going to happen between himself and Lyla, but held his tongue.

"Nice to meet you, Lou," Jack replied. Sticking his hand out.

"It's Lou-is!" Louis stated carefully pronouncing both syllables. He reluctantly grabbed Jack's hand in return.

"My apologies," Jack said. He couldn't help it. This man was to easy to rustle. "Well Lyla, I should be getting back to work." He winked at the pink haired lady, who blushed in return. Louis continued to glare even as Jack's back was turned to him. Jack couldn't help but let out a small chuckle under his breath. These innocent games were what broke up the monotony of undercover work.

* * *

Gwen rubbed her temples Jack had sent her stacks of paperwork on Maion. So many stories and rumors, yet no actual proof of allegations. She found his last report most interesting. Will Regison was working on something called the "Rachel Project." Nothing else was known about the project. Maion dealt with pharmaceuticals, but often would test on human subjects too soon and without authorization. Fines had been given, but nothing else. It infuriated her to think about the poor victims of this corporation.

Then there was the recent information about Doctor Alex Martin. Jack had gotten an intense background check into him. He had changed his name from Doctor Trent Schuster just before coming out to Flowerbud. What was even more intriguing was his history. He had worked on genetics altering and animal replication. He had only dealt with small lab animals, but had started making great strides, until it got banned for inhumane treatment of the replicated specimen. At the time he'd been pushing for replication of human organs, and possibly even humans. But after the ban on animals, all talk of human replication had stopped.

Gwen wondered if perhaps he was back at his old tricks? A horrifying thought crossed Gwen's mind. What if he were actually replicating humans? She needed to bring it up in her debriefing with Jack. Maybe she was just thinking crazy, but her gut told her that she wasn't far off the mark.

Sent from my iPhone


	13. Chapter 13

**A little glimpse into Will's life, and my take on the heart event. **

* * *

Summer faded away, and with it beautiful colors burst through the leaves. Autumn painted its glory across the landscape. Rachel found Autumn in Echo Town enchanting. Everything had it's own beauty. The air was less sweltering, and it was much easier to get the animals to cooperate with her.

She still struggled with her memories. They haunted her at times. She found herself drawn to the mansion in the afternoons. She loved the topiary gardens and how green they looked against the bright colors of Autumn. There was also a certain servant that she enjoyed seeing.

"Nice to see you again Miss Rachel,"'Sanjay greeted. Rachel smiled at the greeting. Sanjay was always the perfect gentleman.

"I hope I'm not intruding," Rachel replied. "I know this is the third time this week, but..." She looked down at the ground.

"Not at all, we always love visitors. These gardens are too beautiful not to share with others," Sanjay said. "However today Amir is away."

"Oh well, does that mean I have to go?" Rachel asked.

"Not at all," Sanjay assured. Sanjay looked at the nervous girl standing in front of him. It was quite adorable when she blushed. He looked forward to seeing Rachel, and was glad she was finally coming around more often, even if it were just to look at the gardens. "Would you like to join me for some tea?"

"I-I'd like that a lot," Rachel stammered. He held his hand out to her. Shyly Rachel accepted it. Once again feeling a jolt when they touched.

"So you really don't remember your past?" Sanjay asked.

"Not at all," Rachel answered. "To tell you the truth it's terrifying."

"I imagine it is," Sanjay replied. "Well I certainly hope, for my sake, there is no husband or significant other waiting for you to remember them." Rachel blushed. While there had always been light flirtation, he had never before been so direct with her.

"Me too," Rachel said with a shy smile. Something about Sanjay made her feel safe. She could almost forget for a moment all the haunting memories, and the dread of remembering.

Sanjay led her into the house. Rachel had never seen a place so beautiful in her life before. The floor was lined with white sparkling marble there was luscious blue and purple rugs laying regally across them. In the middle of the large entrance area there was a white marble fountain flanked by two large staircases. Gorgeous paintings hung on the walls, and white furniture was lined against the walls. Rachel felt like she was vastly underdressed to be in such a beautiful place. Thankfully she'd thrown on clean clothes before coming here.

"Come with me, the kitchen is in the back here." He led her to the doorway directly across from them. Rachel watched every step, worried to leave behind traces of dirt.

"How do you not worry about making things dirty?" Rachel asked.

"Ah that," Sanjay said. "We have the most wonderful maids here. The head maid is quite good at making sure this place stays clean. I must admit I'm bad at it. I trek in here some days all dusty after working with my alpacas." Rachel giggled at the thought. She had not imagined a man such as he, would leave a mess. Sanjay walked over to the stove and placed a beautiful ornate teapot on the stove. She say down on one of the lush stools next to an island counter.

"Thank you so much for inviting me to tea," Rachel said. She was not sure what else to say. In truth she felt awkward. She wasn't really sure how one was supposed to act in a setting as formal as this one.

"You're very welcome," Sanjay replied.

"This is a very lovely home," Rachel quipped.

"You can relax," Sanjay assured. The poor girl looked like she was going up jump out of her skin. He recognized the look of intimidation. Many people felt intimidated in these surroundings.

"Sorry. I've just never been anywhere so fancy before. Well at least not that I can remember. I mean this is a really fancy place," Rachel rambled. Instantly she covered her mouth with her hands. How silly he must think she is. To her surprise Sanjay smiled. It was a stunning and dazzling smile.

"There we go, now that is the real you. Is it not?" Sanjay chuckled. Rachel felt the heat in her cheeks rising again. Sanjay simply smirked. He was going to enjoy this afternoon's tea immensely.

* * *

The smell of cheesecake wafted through Heartful Lyla. Jack found his mouth watering. He hadn't had this much home cooking in his life ever. Jack's mother had been less worried about being a homemaker and more interested in partying. His father had attempted to fill in the gaps, but was only good at making macaroni and ramen noodles. Usually had been fast food or take out. Jack had continued that into his later years. On his assignment undercover as a farmer he'd learned to make simple dishes, but nothing to the caliber that Lyla made it.

Sweet little pink haired Lyla had such a crush on him. Jack knew with each passing day it was growing. He'd seen the romance novels she read. The kind with a shirtless hero on the cover. Lyla would look at him starry eyed as if he were one of those heroes. Jack knew he was no one's Romeo. He was the love em and leave em type. With a woman as beautiful as Lyla, normally he would have been all for a little fling. But even he knew that was not what Lyla was looking for. Lyla wanted to play for keeps. So instead he entertained himself with her innocent blushes, and cute attempts at flirtation.

"I've made some cheesecake," Lyla called over to Jack. "Why don't you take a break and join me?"

"I think I might just do that," Jack replied. He sauntered up to the counter of the store. She held up a piece of cheesecake on a plate. He smiled at her plates that were decorated with small pink hearts. Lyla took a bite of the cheesecake, Jack followed suit. He'd never tasted anything as good as this cheesecake in his entire life.

"This is incredible!" Jack praised. Lyla smiled feeling pleased with herself. Her mama had always said to win a man's heart you have to win over his stomach. Jack noticed a small smudge of cream cheese on her cheek.

""You've got something here,"  
Jack said, pointing to the corresponding spot on his cheek.

"Oh!" Lyla gasped. She picked up her napkin and began wiping her cheek. She managed to hit every spot but the spot with food on it.

"Here," Jack said. "Let me." He gently took the napkin and wiped her face. She sat motionless staring into his eyes. Jack felt the magnetic pull of an attractive woman wanting to be kissed. He slowly inched his face forward. In his mind he knew this was a bad idea, but for some unknown reason was powerless to stop it. Thankfully at that moment the bells on the door jangled. Jack quickly jumped back. He had never been so relieved to see a customer than he had been at that moment.

"Welcome to Heartful Lyla," she greeted as cheerily as she could. For Lyla the interruption had been a disappointment. She only hoped that little scene would play out to its finish soon.

* * *

The curtains were drawn just the way Chelsea needed them to be. In the afternoons she'd often get raging migraines, if too much light was let in, they would become more unbearable. As she lay bedridden, she knew her time was coming to an end. She'd accepted it, Will had not. He sat by her bedside now. He always felt guilty when he'd have to leave her. Chelsea didn't mind. She'd loved him, and that had been enough for her.

"We're working on finding a solution baby," Will said. "We will find it if we have to search to the ends of this earth."

"Will," Chelsea said meekly. "You don't have to bother yourself with all of this."

"Hush now," Will soothed. "Don't you worry yourself about this. Get some rest. I'll be up later for dinner." Will left the room of the woman he loved. He would do anything for her. He checked his cell phone. No news from Vaughn. His anger boiled over. Doctor Martin and his associates would pay if they didn't find the girl soon.

* * *

It was a rare occurrence for Kurt's brother Joe to visit Gwen during office hours. While Joe was the more outgoing of the two, he usually stayed far away from Gwen. Joe was a bit of a trouble maker, so ever since she became the sheriff of the town he had stayed away from her. So when Joe came into Gwen's office in the middle of the afternoon, her mind instantly flew to something wrong with Kurt.

"Can I talk to you about something?" Joe asked.

"Of course," Gwen replied. Gwen considered Joe as family.

"I am concerned about Kurt," Joe replied. Gwen lifted her eyebrow in curiosity. "I don't know what he has gotten himself into, but whatever it is, I think it's is sneaking out of the house at night and spending big chunks of the work day away from work. I know it's not just you he's coming to see. Especially at night. I've seen him sneak into your room, but these days he's actually sneaking out of the house. He seems panicked all the time these days."

"What makes you think he's gotten into something bad?" Gwen asked. Avoiding the subject of Kurt coming into her room.

"Because he won't even tell me. He always tells me," Joe informed.

"I can look into it," Gwen replied.

Thanks," Joe sighed. Gwen couldn't help but worry about her lover. Most girls who had heard this information would have assumed their lover had found another woman, but Gwen was not worried about that. What worried her was the fact that Joe was worried about his brother. Joe worried about very little in life. Gwen sighed, She didn't need this on top of everything else she was working on.


	14. Chapter 14

**Some Jack backstory, and a bit of violence. More Romance to come!**

* * *

Tina sat at her keyboard with her hands hovering over the keyboard. She had all but typed the story about Rachel. It was quite possibly one of the best stories she had ever written in her entire life. She knew that no one in Echo Town would appreciate her work, but such was a life of a journalist. Everyone seemed to be on Rachel's side. She finished typing the last words, when she heard a knock on her door. She quickly made sure she saved the document and then answered the door. The girl in question stood at her door.

"Finally decided to come clean?" Tina asked. A look of anger flashed over Rachel's face which was quickly replaced with a look of forced calm.

"There's nothing to come clean about," Rachel insisted. "I've come to ask that you hold off on any article you may be considering printing about me." Tina crossed her arms across her chest. She saw no reason why she should listen to this girl.

"Tell me why I should?" Tina asked.

"Can I come in for a moment?" Rachel asked. Tina was not sure whether or not she trusted being in a confined space with this girl. If she was dangerous, something could happen to her.

"I guess," Tina replied hesitantly. She allowed Rachel to enter her house.

"I know you don't trust me," Rachel started. "Honestly if I were in your shoes I wouldn't trust me either." Tina regarded the girl carefully.

"You are right about that," Tina replied. "I'm not like everyone else in this town that you've managed to pull the wool over their eyes."

Rachel sighed. She had to remind herself that Tina did not know the situation she was in. While it was frustrating that Tina always thought the worst of her, she hoped by the end of the conversation that Tina would be able to see through her prejudice and understand the situation Rachel was in.

"Look," Rachel replied trying to stay calm. "I am not pulling the wool over anyone's eyes. I really have no memory of who I am."

"So what are you not telling me then?" Tina asked.

"That's the thing, I don't know," Rachel said. "Actually I was hoping we could help each other out. All I know is that I have something to do with a company called Maion Corporation." Tina was suddenly interested in the conversation. Maion Corporation had been the press several times in the past years, something like this could put her on the map as a journalist.

"Ok so now you have my interest," Tina replied.

"See I need to find out more information about this corporation. I think I am in some kind of trouble. I assure you, that if I have done anything wrong or criminal that I can remember, I will turn myself in. However, I don't feel like I have done something wrong. If you help me find out what I am involved in, I will cooperate with you when it comes time for you to write your story. However, if you publish this story before we figure this out, I won't tell you a thing."

"How do I know you're not lying to me right now?" Tina asked. "How do I know that you are not just biding your time for an escape?"

"You don't know," Rachel replied. "I understand that this takes a lot of trust from you. But what you need to understand, is that it is also taking a lot of trust from me, too. I need to know that you're going to accept this deal. Because after that I am going to tell you everything that I know." Tina once again considered the options. She could publish the story she had right now that would not have the full information. At best people in town would ignore it. The story she wrote probably wouldn't get picked up anywhere else. Or she could wait, and possibly snag the story of her life.

"You have a deal," Tina replied. She held out her hand to Rachel.

"I need your word that you will not publish anything until I say it is okay," Rachel replied. "Understand that I am putting a lot of trust in your word."

"You have my word," Tina replied. Rachel shook Tina's hand.

"Let me tell you what I know," Rachel stated.

* * *

Jack stared at Gwen in surprise. He heard about Doctor Schuster and his replication fiasco, but had not realized that the doctor had changed his name and moved to Flowerbud. It shocked him realizing that this could be the break they needed to bring Maion Corporation down. Replication of humans had been strictly forbidden, in fact, replication of any living creature had been prohibited. If Maion was involved in human replication, that would be it. He could finally get something to stick to Will Regison.

"This is only a hunch," Gwen replied, after seeing the excited look on Jack's face. "We still have a lot of work to do to, if we're going to prove it."

"I'm okay with that," Jack replied."I'm willing to do what it takes to bring him down." Gwen looked at Jack curiously. This sounded more personal than just a mere closing of the case.

"What's really going on between you and Will?" When asked.

"Nothing," Jack replied. "I've just been trying to get him for years." Gwen looked at him dubiously. She didn't believe that there wasn't a more personal touch to this case.

"The one thing that always liked about you Jack that you're always a straight shooter. You've always been honest and upfront. Why start lying now?" Gwen asked. From the look Jack gave her, she knew she gotten her point across.

"So maybe there is something personal for me here," Jack replied.

"Care to share with me?" Gwen asked. When Jack remained silent she the shook her head. "Jack it's me, you know that I can keep a secret. I just want to make sure that there is nothing here that is going to jeopardize this case."

"Will Regison is a bastard." Jack stated simply.

"Well yeah," Gwen chuckled.

"I don't think you understand," Jack said. "Will Regison was in the same class in high school as my little sister."Jack paused. The topic of his little sister was always a hard one to bring up.

"I didn't know you have a younger sister, "one stated.

"Had," Jack answered. "Will and his little rich buddies decided that they were going to pick on my sister. There was a group of seven or eight of them that teased her, taunted her and mocked her mercilessly. It was so bad, it was to the point where my sister grew depressed. She was a young, beautiful teenager. She was the unexpected child and we all loved her. But Will and his friends broke her spirit. They broke her so badly, that one evening in the middle of her 10th grade year of high school, she swallowed an entire bottle of my mothers painkillers."Jack paused, the words or hard to get out. Tears welled in his eyes. Gwen gasped. She never knew that Jack carried around this pain with him.

"Oh my goodness!" Gwen gasped. "I'm so sorry Jack. I understand now. I promise you, that I will do what ever it takes to bring him down, if he is guilty." Jack looked at Gwen there was a new sense of camaraderie between the two of them. She understood. He told very few people that story.

"Do you have a photo of her? "Gwen asked.

"I carry one with me everywhere I go. It keeps me honest. Whenever I need a reminder to do the right thing I look at her picture," Jack replied. He pulled the old worn picture out if his wallet. A beautiful blonde haired girl was smiling happily in the photo. She looked so young and full of life. Gwen realized how tragic it must have been for Jack's family.

"She was beautiful," Gwen stated. "What was her name?"

"Lily," Jack replied, Gwen could hear the raw emotion in his voice.

"Well," Gwen stated. "If we're going to catch Will, we have a lot of work to do."

* * *

Vaughn arranged to have Kurt come meet him in the forest. Kurt was to be his warning to the other two idiots, that he was serious. The bumbling hicks had no idea who they were messing with. Vaughn waited patiently. Finally he saw a figure approaching him. The man looked unhappy to be coming out here for the impromptu meeting. Vaughn had purposefully chosen the meeting at night to intimidate the other man. These idiots needed to be taught a lesson, that he was serious.

"What is so important that you needed to have this meeting in the middle of the night?" Kurt mumbled.

"This," Vaughn replied. He sprung quickly into action. He quickly pulled the cord he had brought with him around the man's throat. Kurt struggled against him, but it was useless. Vaughn was much stronger.


	15. Chapter 15

**Some action to come soon :)**

* * *

Gwen struggled to maintain composure. It had only been a few days since Joe had come into her office worried about Kurt. Gwen had barely scratched the surface in investigating him, when he'd gone missing. No one has seen Kurt since the day before. Kurt would often go by himself off into the woods, but he'd always be back by morning. It was now well into the evening and still no sign of him. Gwen was searching through the forest areas she knew he liked to go to. Kurt was no where in sight. She decided to retire for the evening, hoping beyond all hope that Kurt would show back up in the morning.

When she reached her tiny apartment, she saw that Lyla was waiting for her. Lyla was such a sweet soul always so thoughtful of other people. Gwen smiled she saw the bottle of wine into wine glasses and a basket that was presumably but filled with Lyla's homemade goodies.

"Thought you could use a little bit of distraction," Lyla stated.

"You know me so well," Gwen sighed. Very few people knew about her and Kurt, Lyla was one of them. But Gwen trusted Lyla with almost anything. They had been best friends since they were young.

"I take it you had no luck looking for him in the forest?" Lyla asked. Gwen shook her head. She was fraid of speaking, as she fought back the tears threatening to spell from her eyes. Lyla said nothing, wrapped an arm around Gwen's shoulder. "Well then, how about you and me have an old-fashioned girls night." Gwen he wasn't really in the mood for a girls night, but she could see that Lyla had painstakingly prepared everything so wonderfully. And she knew, that the distraction would be good for her.

"That sounds good to me," Gwen replied. Gwen unlocked the door, and both girls walked in together.

From the shadows, Vaugn watched the two women enter the sheriff's house. He hadn't expected such a reaction from the sheriff at Kurt's disappearance. Why was this woman so concerned about him? He wanted to be able to get closer, to see if you could overhear any of the conversation between the two women. But he knew better. In small towns like this, everybody always saw something. He didn't want to risk looking suspicious, especially in light of what had just happened. He turned around and made his way back to sanitorium to have a talk with Dr. Martin.

"Can you explain why your Sheriff is so interested in the disappearance of one of your goons?" Vaughn asked the doctor.

"Well, Kurt and his brother Joe grew up with Gwen, they lived with her and her grandfather. You managed to knock off the of the sheriff's family. If you wanted to teach us all lesson, you should've used Jamie." The doctor stated. Vaughn cursed.

"I thought you said he was a loner? "Vaughn asked.

"Well he is," Dr. Martin stated. "But that doesn't necessarily mean that people don't care about him." Alex was still frightened by Vaughn. He had killed Kurt and cold-blooded there was nothing stopping him from killing Alex. He knew the only reason why he was alive was because if and when they found the girl, he would need to examine her to make sure she was still stable.

"You've messed this up," Vaughn stated. He stared at Alex. "Don't even try to blame this on me. Remember we were both here in the Sanatorium last night. Remember to keep that story, and everything will be ok." Alex nodded. He would have loved nothing more than to expose Vaughn for who he was, but he knew that Vaughn's boss was powerful, was not one to mess with. Will Regison could ruin him, and he had too much at stake now to allow that to happen.

* * *

Rachel felt better knowing the information Tina had told her about Maion Corporation. Tina had been buzzing with excitement with the prospect of the story of her life. Rachel had more information that she could have ever gathered on her own about Maion coporation. As she left the journalist's house she ran into Sanjay who was taking an evening stroll. Rachel felt a flutter in heart when she saw him. She felt a blush come across her cheeks when he smiled at her.

"Good evening beautiful," Sanjay greeted.

"Good evening," Rachel echoed. She felt awkward around him and wasn't sure how to react quite yet. These sort of interactions made her feel a bit odd. It was as if she were experiencing this type of thing for the first time in her life.

"What is a beautiful girl such as yourself doing out so late at night alone?" Sanjay asked.

"It's not that late is it?" Rachel asked.

"It's almost nine in the evening," Sanjay replied. Rachel was shocked. She had not realized that she stayed at Tina's so long.

"Oh goodness!" Rachel exclaimed. "I need to be getting home!"

"Let me walk you home dear lady," Sanjay insisted. "I would hate to see something happen to you being out so late."

"I am okay on my own," Rachel stated. Sanjay chuckled.

"Of course you are," Sanjay replied. "But I use any excuse I can to spend time with you." Rachel found herself blushing yet again. This man had the ability to make her feel like a school girl.

"Oh," Rachel replied lamely. Her cheeks were warm with embarassment. She accepted his outstretched arm.

"So what were you doing out so late?" Sanjay inquired.

"I was just doing some research with Tina," Rachel replied.

"Research?" Sanjay asked.

"Yeah, I am trying to figure out who I am," Rachel stated.

"I cannot imagine what it would be like to have no memory," Sanjay said. "It must be terrifying for you." They continued to walk and chat about their respective days. Sanjay was unlike any other servant. He was more like royalty. she wondered about his past, but any time she had asked him about it, he would simpmly redirect her gently unto other subjects. She could understand wanting to have things hidden. She kept many things hidden from people.

When they arrived at her house, she had a feeling of dread in her stomach. She wasn't sure why it overcame her, but she couldn't help but think that something was horribly wrong.

"Have a good evening dear lady," Sanjay said. He gently placed a kiss on her cheek. Even that touching gesture didn't calm down the fear in the pit of her stomach. She did not want to enter her house, she felt the strongest urge to run.

* * *

Jamie Woods had never before in his life done anything interesting. Most people did not notice him. In fact, many people confused him for a woman at times. So when he had been offered large amounts of money to watch over the "project" Doctor Martin was working on, he had jumped on it. Now Jamie feared for his life. Vaughn had sent a very clear message when he had, in cold blood, killed Kurt. Jamie would admit, that it was his fault that the girl escaped in the first place. He had fallen in love with the girl almost instantly. She was beautiful, and so innocent. So when she had pleaded to get outside, he had readily agreed. Unfortunately for him, she had escaped his grasp and run away. Jamie who was a bit overweight and out of shape had not been able to keep up with the girl.

Now he was tasked with searching the surrounding towns to see if he could find her. Vaughn had attempted to do so, but he looked too much like an outsider. People in these parts did not trust people who looked like Vaughn. So Vaughn had told Jamie to take over in that task. Jamie knew part of the reason he was tasked to going out, is because Vaughn wanted to keep his eyes on Doctor Martin.

Jamie had left his farm several times over the past few weeks and no one had noticed. No one cared that he was missing for chunks of time. Even though he had attempted for years to integrate himself with the community, no one seemed to care about the lonely farmer. That frightened him even more, because he was even more disposable than Kurt was.

He finally reached a small town called Echo Town. He had been travelling for days. He checked into the small Inn hoping that this town would have some news. He was tired of travelling, tired of searching for the girl. He was starting to regret taking on this job in the first place.


	16. Chapter 16

**I lost this chapter had to rewrite it**

* * *

A pale haze misted over the cold autumn morning, it was a sign of something sinister to come. Flowerbud was covered in the darkness of the fog creating a somber mood. In the quiet of the morning before most people stirred, a shrill scream pierced the air.

Gwen sat up instantly. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest. The scream jolted her out of the sleep that she had finally managed to succumb to after many glasses of wine with Lyla. The pink haired girl was next to her slowly starting to come out of sleep as well. Gwen fought the onslaught of dread that overcame her. Her only thought, was Kurt. It had to be something with Kurt.

"What was that?" Lyla asked, she rubbed her eyes wearily with the back of her hand.

"That is what I am going to find out," Gwen stated. She grabbed her firearm and bolted out the door. "Stay here!"

She slowly made her way through the thick fog. She heard another scream. No longer being cautious she ran towards the scream. Since it was still a bit dark out, it was hard to make out anything, but Gwen saw Ellen, the farmer's daughter running through the fog. Her face had a frantic look on it. Gwen ran up to Ellen calling out her name. Ellen appeared to be in a trance of some sort. She was staring off into the distance. At least she had stopped screaming.

"What is wrong?" Gwen asked. Ellen opened her mouth as if to speak, but said nothing. Instead she collapsed in Gwen's arms and started sobbing.

"I can't! I can't!" Ellen sobbed. Gwen felt fear grip her even more."In... woods..."

"What's in the woods Ellen?" Gwen urged. Ellen said nothing. Her eyes widened and she started shaking. "Ellen, you are safe, nothing is going to get you here. What is in the woods?"

Ellen pulled on Gwen's hand as a response. She could clearly see that the young girl was too traumatized by whatever she had seen to speak. Instead she led Gwen to an area in the woods. She stopped short before reaching where she could see the offending object. Gwen stopped short, lying in front of her was Kurt's body. Gwen felt her stomach drop. She had never before faitned at the sight of a crime scene, but this was the closest she'd ever gotten. Pulling Ellen away from the scene, Gwen steeled herself to prepare for the upcoming investigation.

* * *

Rachel's fear gripped her as she awoke early in the morning. A thick fog enveloped the entire town. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Upon leaving her house she saw a man walking through the farmyard. She froze in her tracks. She recognized this man. It was one of the men who haunted her memories. Rachel crept around the farmyard keeping herself well hidden in the fog. Her only thought was get to Tina. Tina would hopefully know what to do. She kept an ever watchful eye on the man who appeared to be searching the farm for something. Probably her. When she finally exited the property, She ran towards Tina's house, which thankfully was close by.

The young journalist looked perterbed by being woken up so early in the morning. Rachel quickly entered the house.

"What is going on?" Tina asked.

"Some man, he's in the farmyard, I remember him!" Rachel whispered.

"Wait, slow down," Tina signed. "Start from the beginning."

"Please we dont' have time! I need you to come back to my home with me!"

"What?" Tina asked confused.

"Please just come with me!" Rachel pleaded. Tina finally consented and they made their way through the back trails to Rachel's small house. On th way they could hear the man knocking on the main house. Rachel stood in the small farmhouse shaking, memories flooded over her that she couldn't stop. Terrible memories that made her shake to her core.

* * *

Vaughn heard the scream as he was laying in his bed. He assumed that someone had finally found the body of the young man. It did not worry him that the man was found, he had been hoping for the body to be found soon. It was all a part of his plan. Hopefully by the gruesome details coming out, the men who were still alive would finally understand the kind of danger they were in. He was not worried about being caught either. The cops were mostly incompetent, and the sheriff was nothing more than a pretty face. He had eluded capture so many times, the fear of being arrested was no longer prevalent.

* * *

Henry was frustrated at the knock on the door that abruptly woke him up from his slumber. He was a typically early riser, but this was even early for him.

"What?" Henry asked groggily. He didn't bother to hide his displeasure with the overweight man standing at his door.

"I'm looking for my wife," Jamie lied. "She was in an accident... She is missing." Henry became intrigued. Perhaps this was the answer to Rachel's past.


	17. Chapter 17

**Some fun stuff to come!**

* * *

"Tina!" Rachel whispered excitedly. "He's coming this way!" Tina and Rachel watched from the small window in the house. Tina, ever the resourceful one, was already formulating a plan in her head. It was funny the almost instant bond they now seemed to have. As if sharing a secret had forged a friendship in them.

"Go! Hide!" Tina ordered, as there was a knock on the door. Rachel hid under her bed. Her heart was beating wildly. She remembered that man vividly now. He had held her captive. She wasn't sure of the reasons why, but he was one of the men that had held her captive. She remembered that he would often take certain "liberties" with her. Touching her in ways that made her feel like vomiting. Rachel heard the door open. Jamie, his name was Jamie.

"Looking for the new farmer named Rachel," Jamie stated.

"That would be me," Tina answered confidently. There was a long pause. "Is there something you needed?"

"No, I apologize, it's just my wife, that was her name. She's been missing for a while," Jamie advised.

"Sorry hope ya find her!" Tina replied cheerily.

"Thanks," Jamie mumbled. Rachel heard the door close.

"Coast is clear," Tina whispered. Rachel crawled out from under the bed.

"That man," Rachel advised. "He is not my husband. He was one of the men that held me captive."

"Really?" Tina asked barely able to contain her excitement. This story was getting bigger by the moment!

"Yes," Rachel sighed. Tears rolled down her face. She was so grateful that Tina had been there and thought so quickly on her feet. "Thank you Tina."

"You're welcome," Tina replied. "I'm going to go home now. I'll let you know when that bastard leaves town."

Henry watched the man leaving his farm.

"Not the right girl?" Henry asked, the man shook his head. Henry sighed. He had hoped for some insight for Rachel. Felicity worried about Rachel's lack of memory. There was something mysterious and elusive about Rachel, that Henry couldn't quite put his finger on. He didn't know if it was due to her amnesia, or if there was something more.

* * *

Jack was itching to find out details on the murder, but instead was stuck staying undercover. He sat at the bar in Moonlight Cafe, the blonde barmaid Eve was flirting shamelessly with Vaughn, who was also sitting at the bar. Vaughn was doing his best to ignore her advances. Jack hoped to learn some more about the man by observing him.

"Do you spend most of your nights alone?" Eve asked Vaughn. "That's a shame that such a handsome man as yourself doesn't have a woman to keep him company." She leaned up against the bar. Vaughn could easily read between the lines. Eve was offering herself to him. He weighed his options. He was staying at the Sanatorium, but it wouldn't hurt to involve himself with a woman. It would make him look more "normal."

"I manage," Vaughn replied, trying to put a lightness in his voice he didn't feel. He smiled back at Eve. She had a voluptuous figure, and Vaughn had noticed that she was beautiful. But it was a superficial beauty. She was obviously a woman who was accustomed to using her body to get her way.

"Well sugar, you let me know if you're looking for some fun," Eve purred.

"Eve! Get back to work!" Her Uncle Duke yelled. Eve made a face.

"Back to the taskmaster," Eve replied with a wink at Vaughn.

"She's a hot one," Jack mused. "Wouldn't mind a roll I'm the hay with her." Vaughn turned to the man. He'd heard of this man. He'd come into Flowerbud as a homeless drifter and got a job at the seed shop.

"Yeah," Vaughn replied. "Thinking about taking her up on her offer."

"Can't blame ya there," Jack lied. Eve was a vapid woman who clearly used her sexuality. Most men liked that, but not him.

"So where did you come from?" Vaughn asked. He didn't trust this stranger.

"Used to live in Highland City. Was in the foster system most my life. Started wandering and drifting around. But I like it here," Jack stated. He was good at being quick on his toes. Vaughn couldn't verify his story very easily this way.

"What about you man?" Jack asked.

"Here helping my cousin out. He said he needed someone to help around his Sanatorium," Vaughn advised. "Live in Highland city myself. Name's Mark."

"Jack," Jack replied. He turned back to his beer to avoid looking like he was too interested in Vaughn. Tonight's conversation had been enough of an introduction.

Later that evening, Jack watched as Eve led Vaughn up to a room in the Inn. That could definitely be used to his advantage. She'd be a good witness if needed.

* * *

Gwen's little office turned into a tactical area for the small team that had come to investigate Kurt's murder. Gwen was nearly beside herself, but doing what she could to keep it together. A man named Agent Martinello headed up the team.

"Ma'am do you have any suspicious characters here in Town?" Martinello asked.

"Vaughn Layton's here. He's going by the name Mark," Gwen whispered. "I suggest you interview Jack too, just as a formality. Since he's 'new' too." She used finger quotes around the word new.

"Was already planning on that ma'am," Martinello informed. "Jacks a good man."

"Yes he is," Gwen stated. She buried herself back into paperwork to avoid crying. Kurt was dead. It was hard to believe. She had been barely holding on by a thread all day long. Kurt had been the love of her life for so long. He had been the main reason she'd returned to Flowerbud. She berated herself for being so blind when it came to him. How had she missed this? How had she not noticed what Joe had? She was a detective for Goddess sake! Gwen rubbed her fingers against her temples. She couldn't wait for this day to be over. She wanted to to get home, so she could mourn in solitude.

* * *

Rachel moved around her house, she was restless, but dared not to venture out of her house, for fear of running into Jamie. She couldn't help but wonder why he had held her captive. She couldn't help but wonder if there really was a family out there missing her somewhere. Although out of all the memories she had, supported just the opposite. There was a knock on her door. She jumped. She sat silently at her chair as the pounding got louder.

"Come out!" A voice yelled. She recognized the voice as Jamie. Her heart was beating faster and faster. How had he figured it out? The pounding continued to increase, and Rachel started looking around for something to protect herself with.


	18. Chapter 18

Rachel's heart was beating heavily against her chest. She stood frozen unsure of what to do. She could hear Jamie continue to bang on her door demanding she open it. She did nothing.

"Get out here!" Jamie shouted. "Should have picked a different name if you wanted to stay hidden!" She was more frightened than ever. Finally Rachel heard a voice, it was Henry's. She pressed her ear to the door.

"Just what are you doin?" Henry yelled.

"Trying to talk to your girl here!" Jamie shouted back.

"Clearly she does not want to talk you!" Henry said. She heard the man grunt a response, but couldn't make it out. Then she heard a scuffle. Rachel finally sprang into action, she grabbed a heavy shovel perched up against the wall and opened the door. Jamie was attempting to wrestle Henry down to the ground, but Henry was much tougher than he was. Jamie looked at Rachel, his eyes widened.

"I knew it! You bitch!" Jamie screamed. He pulled away from Henry to go after her. Out of pure instinct, Rachel lifted the shovel. It connected with the side of Jamie's head. She screamed as he crumpled to the ground.

* * *

Jack tried to ignore sweet little Lyla's smiles and soft touches. As she became more comfortable with him, she also turned more flirty. If Lyla wasn't so damn adorable, it might have been easier for him to ignore her. But her sweet little sideways glances and tender touches were starting to affect him. He stood pretending to be oblivious of her advances, and focus on both of his jobs instead.

People came and went out of Lyla's shop all day. Jack would help with the heavy lifting. He felt useless. He should be out in the field helping find the person who'd murdered Gwen's lover.

"Hello handsome," a rather busty blond woman greeted Jack. "Never seen you around here before." The woman was standing too close to him for comfort.

"Good afternoon Muffy!" Lyla called out. She sounded less cheery than normal.

"Lyla darling!" Muffy cooed. "When did you get such a handsome man up help you out?"

"He'd been working for me for a few weeks now," Lyla explained, Muffy turned back to Jack.

"Well that's just great. My usual please!"Muffy called out. Jack watched the internal struggle play out on Lyla's beautiful features, before she finally retreated into the back room. "Handsome, what's your name?"

"Jack," he replied. This woman reminded him of the barmaid at Moonlight Inn.

"Well then Jack, what do you do when Lyla's not forcing you to slave away?" Muffy asked. She leaned forward till one of her breasts almost touched his arm. A move Jack was sure drove many men crazy.

"The usual stuff," Jack replied nonchalantly.

"Well then honey, why don't you buy me a drink tonight? This town has a nice little bar," Muffy purred.

"Sorry ma'am," Jack replied. "Don't have a whole lot of extra g, been kinda homeless for a while." He hope that explanation would be enough. Muffy unfortunately was not the type of woman to take no for an answer.

"Well then, let me buy you a drink sugar," Muffy cooed.

"No thank you," Jack stated. He tried to sound offended. Muffy looked undaunted.

"Don't tell me you don't agree with women paying for a man!" Muffy exclaimed.

"Got your bouquet!" Lyla called out at that moment. Muffy sighed and sauntered over to Lyla to pay. Jack took that moment to slip out of the shop into her living area. He hoped she wouldn't mind. It was the only way he could think of to get away from Muffy.

* * *

The day of Kurt's funeral was a rough day for many people. Gwen knew that people in town were devastated and frightened. Who in their town was a murderer? Because her affair with him had been a secret, she wasn't afforded the same courtesies that most people who had lost a significant other would have been given. People talked and speculated horrible things about Kurt right in front of her. She was cop, used to hearing all these grisly details, but for some reason hearing them spoken about her lover was so much more difficult.

"Hang in there," Lyla whispered in her ear Gwen was never so grateful for Lyla in her life.

"Thanks," Gwen whispered back. Today she wasn't a cop, or investigator. Today, she was a woman, who was mourning the loss of her lover. Gwen's eyes traveled around the small room in town Hall. She was shocked to see Vaughn there! She was almost certain he was the guilty of Kurt's murder, but couldn't prove it. Vaughn turned, and Gwen quickly looked away.

* * *

Henry pulled the rather large man onto his tractor, so he could bring him to the clinic. He wasn't sure who this man was, but there was little doubt that he was not a good man. Rachel stated at him wide eyed and trembling. This was a man from Rachel's past. Felicity had come out after all the commotion, her eyes were brimming over with tears.

"What happened?" She asked. Rachel looked at the beautiful Farmer's wife. Both of them had extended such kindness to her.

"I am so sorry," Rachel side. "I have put you both in this situation. Because of my lack of memory, you could have gotten hurt you." Henry was about to agree with her, when Felicity rushed over to the young girl.

"Don't you worry!" Felicity gushed. She wrapped her arms around Rachel. "I am just glad that you are okay."

"I'm sorry Henry," Rachel stated. She knew Felicity had a kind heart, but Henry, she was sure would be more suspicious. "I don't know anything about this man. Except that he is a bad man, that is all I can say. I know that he had held me captive somewhere, but beyond that I do not know."

Henry stared at Rachel, wondering if he could believe the story or not. Her story was quite incredulous, almost too hard to believe. A girl comes to a small town with no memory, and then claims that a person had held her captive. It was too strange, in part the strangeness was what made her story so believable. How could someone lie about something so peculiar.

"I think it's time you tell us everything you know," Henry said sternly. Felicity glared at her husband.

"Henry! That is no way to treat someone who is in the danger that she is in!" Felicity chided.

"No," Rachel intervened. "He is right. It is time that I tell everyone what I know. It is the only way that I can think of to keep this town safe." Rachel looked at the two people who had treated her so kindly, she felt horrible for putting them in such danger. She knew what she had to do. She had to come clean, even if it's meant exposing herself. Even if it's meant putting herself back in harms way. She could no longer allow for two innocent people, or anyone else in this town, to be in danger because of her.


	19. Chapter 19

**More Will and Chelsea. and there will be more Sanhay and Rachel to come**

* * *

Will was not accustomed to feeling so powerless. All his money had always been able to fix problems in the past. He had assumed that it would be the same with Chelsea and her illness. But all the planning, and all the money he'd put into this project, it had failed due to homan error. When Will had found the doctor that had specialized in human replication, he thought the answers to his problems had been found. Of course he had kept all of this quiet from Chelsea. Chelsea would not have wanted this to happen. Everything was staring to work, but then they had let the girl get away! Will was fuming. It was only intensified by the fact that Chelsea's condition was getting worse. Her doctor couldn't explain why her health was declining so much, all he kept saying was that she needed a miracle. Their miracle, unfortunately, had gotten away.

Will no longer cared about the reputation of the company. He wanted to find the answers no matter what. He was not willing to allow Chelsea to die because people in Flowerbud could not keep track of one girl! Will tried to calm himself before he entered Chelsea's room. He did not allow her to see his stress, he feared if she saw him stressing, she would worry. She didn't need to worry about anything but herself at this point.

"What are you doing here?" Chelsea asked when he entered the room. Will was suprised to hear his wife sounding so irritated. Typically she enjoyed their nightly visits.

"Visiting you my love," Will replied.

"Wasn't today your father's birthday party?" she asked. Will looked chagrined. He was hoping she would not remember that. He did not want to go without her, and she was too weak to attend a party.

"Well, why aren't you there?" Chelsea asked.

"How can I be there when you're here?" Will asked in return. Chelsea struggled to sit up.

"Then we'll both go," Chelsea stated, she was short of breath from attempting to sit up on her own in bed.

"Chelsea, you know that party is going to be too much for you," Will insisted. He was trying to be gentle with her. He knew when she was like this there was little reasoning with her.

"Your father has done so much for us, and for you to ingnore him in this fashion on his birthday, it's deplorable!" Chelsea scolded.

"Well then I'll go, you stay," WIll insisted.

"But-"

"No buts!" Will interrupted. "You are not going. I will go, but I don't want you to get sick as a result of this." Chelsea sighed, and laid her head back down on her pillow. She closed her eyes, and Will breathed out with relief. He didn't want to upset Chelsea, it would only make her condition worse. He slipped out of the room, as he was leaving he dialed Vaughn's cell phone.

* * *

"How you holding up?" Jack asked Gwen. He had called Gwen for a status update on the investigation. Usually he would have gone to her office, but these days it was too dangerous for him to be seen associating with her. He was getting closer to Vaughn, and didn't want his true identity to be revealed. He also didn't want to be left out of the details of the investigation. Jack heard Gwen sigh heavily over the phone. He knew what it was like to lose a loved one because of Vaughn. He was more determined than ever to bring the man down. They just needed to get the proper evidence. Both he and Gwen knew Vaughn was guilty of Kurt's murder.

"I..." Gwen started. "I'm okay I guess. I am not really sure what to think to be honest." Gwen didn't say anything else. She appreciated Jack asking her, but she was too hurt to say anything else. She knew that Vaughn was responsible. There could be no one else who was capable of doing something so terrible to him. She also knew from experience that because of his association with Maion corporation, even if he did go to trial, he would be represented by the most expensive, most experienced attorneys. Kurt had been the love of her life, and now he was gone. It seeemed surreal. It was completely unfair that Vaughn was living his life here in Flowerbud, and Kurt was buried in the ground. It angered Gwen and she wanted justice.

"I am establishing a bond with Vaughn," Jack stated. "It's helping me get closer to him. I am hoping he will trust me enough to hire me."

"Be careful Jack," Gwen replied.

"I always am," Jack answered. "I'll talk to you later."

"Goodbye," Gwen stated. Jack hung the phone back up. He wanted justice for Kurt just as much as Gwen did. It was time that Vaughn was held responsible for his actions.

* * *

"So talk!" Henry stated sternly. He stared at Rachel angrily. Felicity, who was sitting next to him nudged him with her elbow.

"Don't be so harsh!" Felicity scolded. The entire Town had gathered for a meeting about Rachel. Rachel was a bit nervous with everyone staring at her. Tina stood up in front with her. Out of everyone in town, Tina was the last person that Rachel ever expected to become an ally. But the reporter was turning into someone that she could rely on.

"I don't know where to start," Rachel said. "So I'll start from the beginning. Ever since I've arrived here, I've had flashes of memory. Memories of people performing painful tests, memories of being locked up."

"So you put my family in danger?" Henry shouted.

"Henry!" Felicity scolded. "If she's in danger then she needs our help!" Henry sat down begrudgingly. Felicity's kind heart was always willing to reach out to those in need, even to her own detriment.

"I don't know," Rachel replied. "I wasn't sure if I was imagining things, or if the memories were real. I realized they were real when that man showed up. All I know is that he was one of my captors."

"So what do you expect us to do?" Dr. Klaus asked.

"Nothing," Rachel replied.

"Look everyone," Tina jumped in "I have a hunch of what's going on, it involves Maion corporation." Nobody in the town liked Maion. A few years back it had tried to buy out Echo Town, to turn it into some high-class vacation resort. They had done everything they could to get the villagers out, but nothing had worked. Tina looked at Rachel, assuring her with that look that everything would be okay. Tina then began to explain the suspicions they had about Maion Corporation and Rachel.

After Tina's explanation, there was a murmur around the room. Rachel could see that there were some who believed her, and others who did not. She could see the doubt in Henry's eyes, and the sympathy in Felicity's eyes. She could see Dr. Klaus's scowling, and Dunnhill looking worried. All around the room, she saw different reactions. However there was one face, that she could not bring herself to look at. She did not look at Sanjay. She did not want to see his response. Afraid that his response would be disgusted, or distrust, like some of the other villagers.

"I for one am not willing to stand by, and allow Maion Corporation to do anything to this girl! "Dunhill exclaimed. "I think as a town, we need to do what is right and protect this girl."

"The mayor is right!" Felicity chimed in. "I could not in good conscience turn this girl over to that monster!"

"You're really putting a lot of trust in her," Henry replied. Felicity turn to her husband.

"You're right I am! just as a trusted you when we first met. People in this town do not like newcomers, and yet I welcomed you with open arms, and the rest followed suit." Henry said nothing more. His lovely wife was right. When he first moved into town, people had been rather mistrusting of him as well. The town was not accustomed to newcomers. He sighed, there was very little he'd deny Felicity.

"I'm for helping," Henry sighed. The general consensus seemed to be to help Rachel. Tears formed in Rachel's eyes. She hadn't expected this kindness from the town.

After the meeting, Rachel felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned to look up into the face of Sanjay. She flushed, not wanting to know what he was going to say.

"So Tina thinks you are a human replication?" Sanjay asked.

"Apparently," Rachel replied. She looked away."I'm sorry, I didn't know myself, until recently." Rachel quickly ran away from Sanjay leaving him wondering what he had done to make the girl so upset.


	20. Chapter 20

Jamie awoke to a beeping noise. He felt quite disoriented, and his head was pounding. He sat up quickly, and instantly regretted it. His head swirled, and he almost passed out again. He breathed slowly in and out to calm the feeling of nausea that overcame him. He felt a slight pull in his left wrist. Jamie's eyes traveled to his wrist to see an IV. What was he doing in a hospital?

"It's nice to see you awake," a man stated. Jamie looked toward the sound of the voice. A rather stern looking man stood in the doorway.

"Where am I?" Jamie asked.

"Echo Town. I'm Dr Klaus," the doctor informed. Jamie eyed the man suspiciously. He certainly couldn't remember coming to Echo Town, although he knew that was one of the towns that was on his list of places to visit. Jamie grumbled under his breath. This girl was causing more trouble than she was worth. Falling in love with her had been futile. He had known that from the start. She was never going to have a life of any sort. She was only created for organ harvesting. But he had fallen in love with her anyway.

"How did I get here?" Jamie asked.

"We're not quite sure," Klaus lied. He did not like the notion of lying to a patient, but the town had agreed to protect Rachel, and he was not willing to lose his good standing in the town over a man like this. He trusted this man even less than he trusted Rachel. If this man had any association with Maion, then he disliked him even more.

"Oh," Jamie replied. Jamie laid his head back down on the pillow, trying to remember. The more he tried, the harder his head hurt. He eventually gave up and fell back into a deep sleep.

Klaus quickly moved into his office to call the mayor. Dunhill had asked for any information on the man who had assaulted Rachel. This was certainly an interesting development and could only work in their favor, if the blow to his head had caused a memory failure.

"He's awake," Klaus stated.

"Are you making sure he doesn't leave?" Dunhill demanded.

"Pretty sure he's not going anywhere, he's quite weak, and he doesn't remember coming here," Klaus informed. "I will monitor him to see if this only temporary or if this will last longer. I'll keep you updated."

"Thanks," Dunhill replied. Klaus hung up the phone still not feeling good about this situation. His father had always instilled in him a strong sense of right and wrong, and this certainly did not feel right to him. He had been taught at a young age things were either black or white. As he grew older he was learning that things were not in fact black and white, there were several shades of gray, but a part of him still wanted to cling to those beliefs he had as a child.

* * *

Vaughn sat in the bar watching Jack as he interacted with the other patrons. He seemed to fit in naturally in this small town setting. From what Vaughn knew the man was down on his luck. He kept things very close to the chest. Not many people knew anything about him. He'd been one of the people that the sheriff had questioned about Kurt's death. Vaughan could certainly use that to his advantage, if he needed to. He at least had a solid alibi provided through Alex. He was too afraid of Vaugn and Will to defy either one of them.

The man seemed angry today for some reason. Vaughn decided it was best to keep him close, just in case.

Jack sat down a few stools away from Vaugn. Close enough to get his attention but far enough away to not be sitting right next to him. He ordered his standard drink and settled in.

"Damn detective," Jack mumbled under his breath. He knew he was saying it loud enough for Vaugn to hear, but low enough where Vaugn would not think Jack had meant for him to hear. Jack took a large swig of his drink. He glanced over at Vaugn who was eyeing him suspiciously. "What do you want?" Vaughn couldn't help but smile. This man was definitely going to be a great asset for him. His short temper this evening was doing very little to help his image. Image was everything in small towns such as these.

"Bad day?" Vaughn asked slightly amused.

"You could say that," Jack grumbled. Jack took another long drink. "Stupid cop on my ass about that kid that got killed. Just because I'm new in town doesn't mean I'm involved." Jack suddenly shut up, and turned away.

"Yeah I hear ya," Vaughn replied. He lifted his drink in the air towards Jack.

"I can't seem to get a break these days," Jack grumbled. "Workin' for that hot little pinkette is great, but doesn't pay too well." Vaughn thought about that for a minute. They were down a man, and could use the help. But Vaughn was hesitant to trust anyone at this point. Vaughn just smiled instead. He would wait to see how this played out before offering him a job.

"You taking advantage of that position?" Vaughn asked.

"Trying to," Jack replied."But ya know how people are in small towns."

"That little blonde bar maid is certainly more than willing," Vaughn sneered. Jack started laughing.

"Think her eyes are somewhere else," Jack ribbed lightly.

"Well she's certainly got plenty to go around," Vaughn laughed with him. Jack resisted the urge to punch him. The man was so disgusting. The way he treated women was deplorable to Jack. But he needed to pretended to agree. Jack gripped his glass, instead. Vaughn would get what he deserved.

* * *

Rachel was slowly packing all ofher items. While Felicity had wanted her to stay, she could see that Henry clearly didn't want her on the property. While she hadn't been fired, Henry made it clear that he wanted her off the property. Outside the small house she could hear Felicity berating her husband for being heartless and unforgiving. Rachel understood. She knew that it would be difficult for anyone to trust her now. She didn't even know if she trusted herself. As she finished packing everything up, she opened the door, to see Henry and Felicity still arguing.

"Don't you go anywhere!" Felicity shouted. "You are welcome to stay here as long as you need!" She ignorned her husband who was glaring.

"It's quite alright," Rachel replied. "I will be okay. I want to thank you for your kindness." Rachel slowly walked around the arguing couple, unsure of where she was going to go now. She had very little money and couldn't afford to rent a room at the inn. she sighed and headed for the town square area.


	21. Chapter 21

**Things are coming to a head here soon :)**

* * *

Rachel wasn't sure where to go. She really had no place to stay at this point. Henry had kicked her out of the house she'd been staying in. Rachel sat on a bench in Town Square with her head in her hands. She tried to blink back the tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes. She had left willingly the place that had brought her some sense of security. That security was now gone. As much as she longed to stay there, she refused to be the cause of marital strife for the couple who had taken her in. She now wished that she had thought this through a bit more. Rachel laid herself out on the bench. Just as she started to think things couldn't get any worse, rain started splattering against her small form. She sighed.

"Well this is just great," Rachel found herself mumbling. She shoved the small suitcase under the bench. Hopefully it would be protected. Rachel buried her face in her arms, wondering what she was going to do now? Footsteps alerted Rachel to the person walking toward her. When she looked up, it was Sanjay. He had a beautifully ornate umbrella protecting him.

"What are you doing out here in the rain?" Sanjay asked. She looked up at him.

"I've got nowhere else to go," Rachel replied.

"What about your home?" Sanjay inquired.

"I don't have a home anymore, not sure I ever really did," Rachel admitted.

"What?" Sanjay asked. It was clear he was confused. Rachel suddenly spilled everything. She didn't know if it was the rain, the fear of encountering her captor, or the comfort in Sanjay's warm eyes, but she told him everything that had transpired between herself, Henry, and Felicity. She confessed how afraid she was, and how she had no where to go. Rachel didn't have enough money to support herself. Sanjay had a mixture of disgust and shock on his face.

"I cannot believe that!" Sanjay asserted. "I am appalled!" Rachel felt even more embarrassed. Of course this man would be even more disgusted with her.

"Look," Rachel replied, "I understand why you might not think very highly of me right now..." She trailed off. What else was there to say. She buried her face back into her arms. She felt a tender touch on her elbow.

"You misunderstand, fair lady," Sanjay soothed. "I am not appalled by you, I am appalled by the farmer's behavior." Rachel looked up at the man who was now crouching next to her. She was looking to see if he was serious. The looks on his face was genuine concern.

"Don't be," Rachel stated. "He's only trying up protect his family. I can understand that."

"Well, I for one, cannot allow a fair maiden such as yourself to stay here by yourself. We have plenty of rooms in the mansion. At least stay there for tonight," Sanjay insisted. Rachel protested at first, but then was persuaded as the rain started coming down faster. She took shelter under Sanjay's large umbrella.

"Thank you," Rachel whispered. She allowed the man to walk her away from town square.

* * *

Henry settled down on the couch. These days he seemed to sleep more on the couch than in his own bed. Felicity was more than angry with him. He'd finally relented and went to get Rachel back, she was no where in sight. Of course the heavy rainfall did nothing to help his cause. Felicity had berated him, and made it clear she didn't want him around her. Henry sighed, he had only been trying to protect Felicity. Whatever Rachel was involved in, it could potentially be dangerous. He didn't want Felicity put in harm's way. He loved that woman more than anything. There was a soft knock on the door.

Henry opened the door to see Dunhill standing in his door. The mayor looked angry. Henry could only imagine the reason why. Dunhill had been a supporter of Rachel's from the very beginning.

"What can I do for you mayor?" Henry asked.

"I've come to tell you that your loan payment is past due," Dunhill stated.

"I thought you said I could pay whenever I was ready," Henry stated.

"I am merely stating a fact Mr. Jones. Returning to you the same courtesy you offered to Rachel," Dunhill advised. Henry's eyes narrowed. He did have the money, but it was going to be used for a new tractor for the farm.

"Who told you?" Henry asked.

"I did," Felicity informed. Henry turned around to see his beautiful wife with a suitcase in her hand.

"What are you doing?" Henry asked, eying the suitcase suspiciously.

"This is the last straw Henry!" Felicity shouted. "I've supported you in everything that you've done! You've done nothing but make false promises to me. I accepted you when no one else did! Everyone told me not to trust you, but I did! Lately you've been more and more selfish! I cannot stay here anymore!" She started to walk past him. Henry grabbed her arm.

"Just wait a minute!" Henry shouted. Felicity twisted her body to get away from his grasp.

"No Henry," Felicity stated. "I'm leaving." She wrenched herself away from him. Felicity had a well hidden secret. It had been quite a while since she'd been truly happy in her marriage. She had accepted Henry and fallen in love with him. But the more she got to know him, the more she realized how selfish Henry was. Felicity was always willing to be generous. Felicity couldn't handle it any longer. She walked towards the door where Dunhill was standing.

"Mr Jones," Dunhill advised. "I'll be waiting on your payment tomorrow." Henry watched as both his wife and the mayor left the house.

* * *

Lyla watched Jack as he lifted some of her heavier inventory around. Lyla was falling more and more in love with her employee as the days passed. Jack had an amazing smile that seemed to radiate his goodness. Many people suspected him of being involved in Kurt's murder. Lyla knew that was not a possibility. She had seen the kindness in his eyes. There was something about Jack that drew her to him. She wasn't exactly sure what it was.

She felt an instant connection with the man she had hired. She had admired him for rebuffing Muffy's advances. Muffy was a woman that was not accustomed to having men say no to her. The look on Muffy's face had been pretty priceless when she had noticed that Jack had slipped out of the shop. The few men that Lyla had dated in her life, Muffy had stolen away.

"Would you like to join me for a home cooked meal tomorrow night?" Lyla asked Jack. Jack looked up looked at Lyla. The look on her face was hopeful and hesistant at the same time. Jack wasn't sure how to answer. He did not want to lead the woman on at all, but he did not want to crush her hopes either. Lyla was such an innocent and almost hauntingly beautiful woman. Jack knew that he was no good for this woman.

"I would love that," Jack replied with a smile. He would have to be really careful to keep the dinner as platonic as possible. Althought the look of elation on Lyla's face made him think that might be harder than he thought.

* * *

Vaughn was worried. Not only was he man down, but now Jamie was missing. He hadn't heard from Jamie since he'd left the last town. Will was breathing down Vaughn's neck as Chelsea grew even weaker. Vaughn was desparate for his sister. He needed man power, and had no where else to turn. So when Jack came into the Inn that evening, he decided to take a change on hiring him.

"You said you're looking for more money right?" Vaughn asked directly. Jack hadn't even been able to order his drink yet.

"That I am," Jack replied.

"I need another man," Vaughn stated. "However the job's not exactly on the up and up." Jack looked at Vaughn for a moment. Then shrugged.

"Money's money," Jack replied gruffly. This was the chance he had been waiting for. Hopefully Vaughn's desparation would help him break the case.


	22. Chapter 22

Alex considered his options very carefully. He had the wrath of two very powerful men on his head, and Jamie hadn't reported back in days. His name had already been splashed on headlines too many times. He had started replication for advancements, to help people. But it had only caused him trouble. He had so badly wanted to be recognized. His father had practically disowned him when the first controversy had splashed its way across the headlines. He could only imagine what his father would do if this made it out. Alex's father was a strong willed man, with even stronger beliefs. Marcus Schuster was a man who had expected quite a lot from his children. Alex's older brother Derek had already become a successful defense attorney in his early twenties. He had his own firm and was known as being one of the best. The irony was that Alex might need to use his brother's services some day.

That thought seethed within Alex. His brother had been the one to help him change his name, and become a doctor here in Flowerbud. His older brother just loved to rub things like this in his face.

Lost in thought, Alex jumped when Vaughn burst through the door of the Sanatorium. He had the new stranger in town, Jack, in town. Alex groaned. Undoubtedly this would be more of Vaughn's hired muscle.

"What are you doing here?" Alex asked. "Vaughn it's late." The silver haired man looked angry. Alex suddenly realized his mistake. To the town he was known as Mark.

"You are an idiot!" Vaughn snarled. He threw his rucksack on the table.

"Shhh," Alex warned. Gina had been staying in the Sanatorium as of late. He didn't want her to wake up. The last thing he wanted to do was put a girl like her in danger. She certainly did not deserve it.

"You tell no one my real name!" Vaughn admonished Jack. Jack nodded casually.

"Understood," he replied. Vaughn seemed placated for the moment. He pulled out a picture from his vest, and passed it to Jack.

"We're looking for this girl," Vaughn replied. Jack took the picture gently. He stared at the girl looking back at him. She was pale and dressed in a hospital gown. The poor girl looked terrified and in pain. Jack memorized everything about her face. This information would be helpful.

"What's her name?" Jack asked.

"She doesn't have one Vaughn replied.

"Rachel," Alex stated simultaneously. Vaughn sneered. Alex had insisted on naming her. Even though she was only going to be used for harvesting organs.

"How can she not have a name?" Jack asked pretending to be confused. It sounded like Gwen's human replication theory was not so far off.

"That's not important," Vaughn snapped. "What's important is finding her." Vaughn snatched the picture back.

"Mysterious is not my thing," Jack replied. He was trying to pry more information out of them.

"Oh for Goddess, sake!" Alex sighed. "She's a human replica. I created her and named her." Jack did his best to look confused. Gwen had suspected this from the start. Gwen had always been good at putting the puzzle pieces together.

"I don't understand," Jack said.

"Look all you need to know is that my sister is dying, and her life depends on us finding this girl!" Vaughn shouted.

"Shhh!" Alex warned. Vaughn sighed and settled into a chair.

"So what do I need to do?" Jack asked.

* * *

Gwen found herself sinking even further in despair. She hadn't been allowed to work on Kurt's case. The work that used to fulfill her, felt stifling. Kurt had been her everything, her dose of fresh air. Now he was gone. She couldn't get involved in his case. It hadn't stopped her from looking into the case as much as she could. She knew it had to be Vaughn who killed him. The shrill ring of her home phone jolted her out of her thoughts.

"Hello?" Gwen asked. Very few people would call her at this time of night. Most people in Flowerbud didn't even use their phones.

"Gwen, I'm in!" Jack stated.

"Really?" Gwen asked. "What did you find out?"

"A lot, you were right about your hunch about the doc. But I think there's more to it than that, I need to investigate this more," Jack replied.

"Keep me updated," Gwen stated. She wrapped up the conversation. She didn't feel like talking anymore. Her whole body ached with pain as a result of her heartache. Having a conversation about this was not something she wanted to do. She was angry that Kurt had gotten caught up in all of this. Gwen sighed. She vowed to get revenge one way or another.

* * *

Rachel settled herself into the bedroom Sanjay had offered her. Amir was away visiting his country. Rachel was a bit relieved as Amir often made her very uncomfortable. For some reason his blatant flirting made her feel quite self conscious. It was possibly enhanced due to her feelings for Sanjay. Rachel wanted to be careful though. She was not sure what it meant to be a replication of another human. If she were, there could be ramifications about it. She didn't want someone to get involved with her before she knew more about herself. There was a light knock at Rachel's door.

"Come in!" Rachel called out lightly. Sanjay opened the door. He had a tray in his hand.

"I figured you are probably chilled to the bone being outside in the cold Autumn rain," Sanjay replied. I've brought you a tray with some chamomile tea and some pastries." He sat on the edge if the bed. Rachel flushed at being waited on. She hadn't expected this kind of treatment.

"You didn't have to do that," Rachel stated.

"I wanted to," Sanjay said. Rachel picked up the cup of tea, there was a hint of lemon and honey added. It was a nice touch.

"How did you become a servant and friend to a prince?" Rachel asked.

"Ah yes, that is quite a story," Sanjay stated. "My father was a body guard to the King, Amir's father. He saved his life, by taking a bullet for him. With his dying breath, he asked the King to take care of me. So I moved to the castle, and when Prince Amir was born became his steward."

"Wow," Rachel sighed. "That _is_ quite a story." She took another sip of her tea. She felt comfortable, warm, and tired. A yawn slipped out of her mouth.

"How rude of me keeping you awake," Sanjay said.

"Not at all!" Rachel insisted. "Thank you for the tea."

"You're welcome, fair lady," Sanjay replied. He gathered up the tray. "Sleep well."

"You too," Rachel replied.

Henry stood begrudgingly in Dunhill's house with the money he owed. He had wanted to buy a tractor to make working the fields easier, but he saw that wasn't going to happen any time soon. He was more upset about Felicity walking out on him. It was true that he was not as loving and accepting as his wife, but he had always wanted to protect and take care of her.

It infuriated him how everyone in town seemed to want to protect her. They knew nothing about her. For all they knew she could be lying and be dangerous. And now because he had exercised some caution, he was being punished.

"Mr. Jones," Dunhill stated. He was all business. There was no tone of friendliness that Dunhill typically adopted. "Just need the money, and for you to sign here." Henry looked at Dunhill to make sure he was being serious. There was no humor in the man's expression. Henry sighed and handed over the money. Grabbing the paper her signed hastily.

"Are we done now?" Henry asked.

"Quite," Dunhill replied. Henry nodded and left the mayor's house. He glanced over at Chez Clement where Felicity was sure to be working. He sighed. Even though he wanted to see her, he knew right now it would be better to give her some time. Instead he turned down the path toward his home.

Jamie finally felt good enough to leave the clinic. He was still a bit fuzzy about what had happened, but apparently somewhere between the last town and this one, he'd been injured, that was evident, but everything else was unclear. He made his way for the mayor's house. If anything the Mayor would know if a strange girl had passed through. He saw the old man out in front of his lawn raking up leaves.

"Hello!" Jamie called out. The man looked up. He stopped working and made his way over to Jamie.

"Nice to see you awake young man," Dunhill replied. "I'm the mayor of this town, Dunhill, what can I do for ya?"

"Name's Jamie, I am currently looking for my sister," he pulled the picture out of hi pocket. "There's been some kind of accident and she's been missing for weeks!" Dunhill tried to look sympathetic. The first time this'll had come into town he had claimed that he was looking for his wife.

"Gotta picture?" Dunhill asked. Jamie nodded and produced a photos from his wallet. Dunhill accepted knowing that it was going to be a picture is Rachel. He had seen it when Jamie had first come into town. Dunhill looked at the photo stunned. Rachel appeared to be in fear and pain, when that photo was snapped.

"Have you seen her?" Jamie asked.

Nope," Dunhill answered nonchalantly. Jamie sighed. He really was getting no where and fast. But he did not want to come back to Vaughn empty handed. Not after what had happened to Kurt.

Jamie walked to the town's small inn feeling dejected. He was growing impatient with this entire situation. He was regretting getting involved, even though the money was good. It wasn't worth the hassle and the danger. It hadn't helped that he had stupidly fallen for the girl


	23. Chapter 23

**I love these pairings. Definitely more to come!**

* * *

Rachel found herself wandering through the large mansion, it was strange to be inside such a beautiful house. She was surprised at Sanjay's kindness. She was still a stranger to the town in so many ways. It surprised her how much the town wanted to protect her. There were many beautiful paintings hanging on the walls. She looked at each of them studying the strokes in the paintings. She was surprised at how different paintings were obviously painted with different techniques. She recognized the names of the techniques for some reason. She wasn't sure why, but she had seen some of these paintings before. She could breifly remember seeing photographs of the paintings, but they were more stunning in person.

"Enjoying yourself?" Rachel heard a voice behind her ask. Rachel jumped. She turned to see Amir standing behind her. He had a slightly amused, slightly confused look on his face.

"Hello," Rachel replied lamely. She wasn't sure what to say. Sanjay had said he normally stayed in his country in the fall. She was completely thrown off guard by his presence. The fact that he was royalty still made her feel a bit uncomfortable. He had an air of sophistication about him. Not that Sanjay didn't, but it was different with him. He was a man who made her feel at ease.

"What brings you to my home this beautiful morning?" Amir asked. Rachel fiddled with her fingers, while trying to formulate her words. Apparently Sanjay had not informed his boss about her temporary living conditions.

"I... Um..." She stopped short. She felt so nervous.

"She's staying here for the moment," Sanjay answered. Her eyes turned to the direction of the lovely, familiar voice. Amir smiled widely.

"Well then," Amir stated. "I always enjoy when beautiful women stay in my house." He took Rachel's hand in his own and kissed in gently. "Please make yourself comfortable."

"Thank you," Rachel said. She retreated away from Amir. She felt too embarrassed for any other words.

* * *

Lyla smiled coyly at her dinner guest. Jack was appreciative of the home cook meal she provided him. Lyla's mom always said that a well cooked meal could make any man fall in love. Lyla was known for her cooking.

"So have you lived here all your life?" Jack asked between bites. Lyla delicately wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin.

"Oh no," Lyla replied. I came here with my mother when I was twelve. She opened this shop, I took it over when she couldn't."

"Where's your mother now?" Jack asked. Lyla's face quickly flashed in pain. Jack regretted asking the question. "Sorry that was careless of me to ask."

"It's alright," Lyla assured. "My mother is in a home. I go to see her every once in a while. Not as much as I should. But the problem is, she doesn't remember me." Jack felt like an idiot for even bringing the topic up.

"You really don't have to..." He trailed off. What else could he say?

"It's okay," Lyla stated. A single tear fell across her left cheek. Jack instinctively reached out to catch it with his finger. A rush of emotions ran through him. It had been quite some time since he'd been this close to a woman. Lyla's beautiful pink eyes looked longingly into his own. He could see the request to kiss her plainly written on her expression.

"I'm sorry," Jack mumbled. He withdrew his hand away. Getting involved with Lyla would only lead to heartache for the girl. He continued to eat the dinner before him.

"That's okay," Lyla sighed. She looked down at her plate forcing herself not to cry anymore. It was ridiculous to feel so disappointed.

* * *

Will awoke from the sound of his wife crying. She was trying to be as quiet as possible, but he knew she was in pain.

"What's wrong?" Will asked.

"N-nothing," Chelsea gasped out. Will didn't believe her. He sat up in bed.

"Please tell me!" Will urged. Suddenly Chelsea started convulsing. Will jumped up and cradled Chelsea in his arms, while yelling for a servant. Will started crying himself. He wasn't ready to lose Chelsea, not yet.


	24. Chapter 24

**this chapter is filled with romance. I wanted to take a break from all the mystery, and interject a few nice moments. Hope you enjoy. **

* * *

"So you've been to jail huh?" Vaughn asked Jack. Jack looked shocked. Vaughn smirked. "What you didn't think I would check into your background a bit?"

"Yeah I guess you would," Jack sighed. "Does that bother you?"

"Nah," Vaughn replied.

"Not exactly the type of thing I like to tell people right off the bat," Jack replied. He knew exactly what Vaughn was doing. He was trying to show Jack that he had power. Jack hid a smirk, his cover was pretty solid if even Maion couldn't crack it.

"That sheriff would certainly be on your tail if she found out," Vaughn stated. Jack could hear the thinly veiled threat in his voice. Little did Vaughn know, Jack didn't really care.

"Damn coppers," Jack mumbled. He had always detested that name. But when he saw the look of amusement on Vaughn's face, he could see that he hit a good chord.

"So this human replica," Jack started. "How exactly did she escape?"

"Incompetence of staff," Vaughn answered angrily. "One of the men fell in love with her, because of that, he let his guard down."

"So all you need me to do is search newspapers and the internet?" Jack asked.

"For now," Vaughn answered. Jack heard the message loud and clear. He would have to earn his trust where Vaughn was concerned. Men like Vaughn knew how to be careful and cover their tracks, it was why he was never locked up. That and the expensive lawyers his buddy Will could afford for him. Jack detested the both of them, but right now he had to pretend.

Alex wandered into the room. He hated how his Sanatorium had become the meeting place for Vaughn and his new lackey. He was starting a new replication, but it would be a long process, and it'd be better if they could just find the original one.

"Please stop making such a mess," Alex scorned. He picked up the papers that were scattered around his table.

"Maybe if you'd done your job correctly we wouldn't have this mess!" Vaughn snapped. Alex glowered at him, but said nothing. He couldn't wait until all this was over, and he could get back to his life. There was a knock on the door. Alex looked at the door with panic. He'd completely forgotten about the Gina! He had made this date with her a while ago. She would be disappointed to see Jack and Vaughn there. Vaughn beat Alex to the door. Alex sighed.

"Oh hello!" Gina exclaimed surprised. She peered past Vaughn at Alex. "I thought we were..." She stopped. Gina was so incredibly sweet. Alex hated seeing her so flustered.

"Sorry my cousin invited company over not knowing we had plans," Alex explained hurriedly. "Let's go to the Moonlight Cafe." Alex darted past Vaughn, and grabbed Gina's arm.

"O-okay," Gina stammered. Alex quickly closed the door behind him. He hated Vaughn even more at that moment.

* * *

Staying in the mansion with Sanjay and Amir, almost allowed for Rachel to feel normal. It was hard to imagine that she was a replication of another human being. If she were a replication if another human being, She wondered if there was such a person, was she the same as Rachel in every way? Rachel sat on a bench near the big bay window of the beautiful mansion wondering all of these things.

"Lost in thought?" Sanjay asked softly. He sat down next to her. Rachel looked up at him. His was filled with warmth and comfort.

"Yeah," Rachel replied. "At first it was always trying to remember my past, now it's trying to come to terms with the fact that I may not have a past."

"Why not take it one day at a time?" Sanjay inquired. Rachel looked into his grey eyes. She was searching for any sign of disgust.

"I..." Rachel stopped. "Because, what if I am a replication?"

"What does that matter?" Sanjay asked.

"Because, if I am, I am some abomination!" Rachel exclaimed. "Doesn't that make me some kind of freak?" Rachel held her breath awaiting his response. She wasn't sure what he was going to say. She looked at the floor. Sanjay gently placed a finger under her chin, and lifted her face up so their eyes met.

"No," Sanjay replied. "It matters not how you came to be, but how you choose to live your life from here." Rachel felt herself blushing. In that moment she felt her heart beating faster.

"You don't think I'm a freak?" Rachel asked.

"I think you are beautiful," Sanjay replied. He placed a gentle kiss on her hand. "Fair lady, you must not sell yourself short. You are you, that makes you special." Rachel looked up at the man. She wasn't sure if she knew what love was, but this might be the closest thing to it she had ever felt.

* * *

Jack hated seeing the hurt look in Lyla's face. He knew that she had been disappointed by the turn of events of the other evening. He knew that Lyla found him attractive. He found her attractive as well. Lyla's beauty was subtle yet alluring. Jack was determined not to hurt this beautiful woman more than he had to.

"Those actually need to go to the back room," Lyla informed Jack. He had just moved some shelves that had just been delivered. Jack looked up at Lyla. He could see the look in her eyes that displayed her self consciousness. She appeared to be nervous.

"Oh, sorry," Jack replied. "I will move them." Jack turned back to the shelves. He felt Lyla touching his arm.

"Do you not find me attractive?" Lyla asked. Jack was a bit startled by her question.

"Pardon me?" Jack asked.

"I asked, do you not find me attractive?" Lyla asked again. Jack sighed.

"What makes you ask that?"

"Well, the other night. I was clearly giving you all the go ahead signs to make a move..." Lyla stopped. She wasn't sure what had come over her to ask him that question. She was not normally so forward. There was something about Jack that had made her more impulsive.

"It's not about that, I think you're very attractive. I am just not a good man for you," Jack explained.

"Why don't you let me decide that," Lyla stated. She boldly took a step forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. When their lips met, she felt a spark of something she hadn't felt in a very long time.


	25. Chapter 25

**more Craziness to come. **

* * *

The thought that this was a bad idea went through Jack's mind briefly. He knew that he would only end up hurting the small pinkette in his arms. Her kiss felt amazing. It had been so long since he'd felt a woman's touch. He stayed away from women to cause less complications. Women tended to get too attached. Jack didn't need attachment. With his job it was too difficult. He saw many of his coworkers loose spouses as a result of the job. It had caused him to close off women. But there was something strangely intoxicating about Lyla. Her bold move was surprising. When they finally pulled apart, both were breathless.

"What was that all about?" Jack asked.

"I've wanted to do that since I met you. Since you weren't going to make the move, I decided to," Lyla explained. Her face was flushed a bright pink color. Her embarrassment made her even more adorable.

"Look, Lyla, I'm going to be very honest with you, I'm not the settling down type," Jack advised.

"Who says I am looking for someone to settle down with?" Lyla asked.

"I guess I just assumed..." Jack stopped. He realized anything he said would be ridiculous.

"Look, Jack, I like you. I think you're handsome. If you don't like me, then I understand. But if you are rejecting me on some false sense of sacrifice then stop, I am a big girl, I can make my own decisions." Jack felt a bit like a schoolboy being scolded. The tone in Lyla's voice was very no-nonsense. This woman was fascinating with all her different facets.

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind," Jack replied.

"Good. Now get back to work!" Lyla teased. Jack smiled and gave a fake salute.

"Yes ma'am," Jack stated. Lyla giggled and returned to the front room. Jack sat contemplating their conversation, and their all too brief kiss. Something told him this woman was going to be trouble.

* * *

Vaughn loved men with weaknesses. Weakness could be exploited. He tried as best as he could to avoid showing he had any. Alex certainly had one such weakness. Gina, the blue haired nurse who worked for him, was clearly someone that Vaughn could use to manipulate Alex if needed. The doctor was not good at hiding his hand. Vaughn could see everything. This would make it easier to control the doctor.

"Good afternoon Mark," Gina greeted. The girl was nothing spectacular. Her wire frame glasses barely stayed on her nose, causing her to constantly push them up. She wore long dresses that covered everything. She was actually quite grumpy looking. Vaughn couldn't help but wonder what the doctor saw in her.

"Afternoon," Vaughn greeted.

"Just brewed Doctor Martin some coffee, would you like some?" She asked sweetly.

"Yes please," Vaughn answered.

"How do you take your coffee?" Gina asked.

"Black."

Gina nodded at him then quickly left the room. Vaughn wondered what it would be like to live in a place such as this. A place where time was simpler and life was all about being neighborly. He would be bored to tears if he had to stay in a place such as this indefinitely. Places like Flowerbud always seemed like going back in time. He much preferred the fast pace life of the city. He was ready to get back to it. All they had to do, was find the girl.

"Here you go," Gina said softly, placing the mug of coffee in front of him. He'd been so lost in thought, he hadn't even heard her approach. She left quickly.

Gina Gentry disliked very few people, but Mark was one of them. There was something about him, that have her bad vibes. She didn't trust him, and didn't like him in the Sanatorium all the time. She still had not been given any explanation as to why he was visiting. It made her wonder what he and Alex were hiding.

Gina had fallen in love with Alex quickly. She had been infatuated with him since she first met him. But she disliked the feeling that he was lying to her. She didn't take lightly to lies. Her father had been a habitual liar, always telling one grandiose story after another, until they had finally caught up with him. Their family had suffered for it. She marched into Alex's office.

"Just who the hell is Mark? And why is he here?" Gina asked. Alex looked up startled. Gina never swore. She looked angry.

"I told you hon, he's my cousin," Alex explained.

"You are lying! Tell me now!" Gina stated. Alex sighed. He wasn't sure what to tell her.

* * *

Felicity kept herself busy in the restaurant. It was amazing to her different life felt. She missed Henry at times, but didn't miss the fighting. She had thought that Henry deep down was a good man, but she had discovered more and more that he really only cared about himself, and his success. Felicity had a large heart and cared deeply about everyone. It was hard for her to slowly come to the realization that Henry was not the same.

So she kept herself busy. She needed some time away to think about what she really wanted. She had married Henry. It wasn't a decision she took lightly, but she also wasn't sure if she could be with a man who was so selfish. When she looked up, she saw him standing before her.

"Hello," Henry greeted.

"Are you here to eat?" Felicity asked.

"No, I'm here to see you," Henry replied.

"Look," Felicity sighed. "As you can see, we're very busy, I have no time to talk to you."

"I just wanted to see you," Henry said dejectedly.

"Well now is not a good time." She moved quickly around him to get the food from Clement, her boss.

"When is?" Henry asked.

Felicity stopped and turned towards Henry. She was frustrated at his insensitivity and stubbornness. She was too busy to deal with this. Ever since Michelle Pendergrass had started her magic show at Chez Clement in the afternoons.

"I don't know Henry," Felicity said. "I really don't want to talk to you at this moment." She started walking away with a tray of food.

"Felicity I'm your husband!" Henry shouted. He grabbed her arm making the plates on the tray slide forward and come tumbling to the ground. The loud crash acted as a pause button and every person in the restaurant turned to look at the two of them. Henry was mortified, and Felicity incensed.

"Go away Henry!" Felicity shouted. She bent down and started picking up the dishes.

"Let me help," Henry replied starting to bend down.

"You've caused enough problems, just go!"

Henry stared at his beautiful wife, as she continued to pick up everything that had dropped. Things were not looking good.

"Why don't you just go on home now?" Clement said, coming over to where he stood.

"I just want-"

"Leave now, and I won't charge you for the damage you've done today," Clement warned. Henry's eyes narrowed. It seemed as if the entire town had turned against him. Seething, he turned around and left the restaurant.

* * *

Sanjay's word's echoed through Rachel's mind. She flushed a bright red color. It was strange to think that a man like that could think of her as beautiful. She felt like a complete abomination. Sanjay had a sophisticated grace that came from being around royalty. Royalty like Amir. The prince made her feel so on edge. She wasn't sure what it was about him, but she felt tense in his presence. Rachel wasn't sure how Amir felt about her staying in his house. He hadn't said anything negative, but hadn't really been as welcoming as Sanjay.

Tonight was no different, she sat at the dinner table feeling quite uncomfortable. Sanjay and Amir chatted about various subjects, while Rachel felt quite out of place.

"I'd like for you and Rachel to come home to Turmerton with me in a few days," Amir informed.

"Why?" Rachel asked.

"I'd like you to see our home," Amir replied.

"I agree," Sanjay replied. Rachel stared wide eyed at them.

Henry could see that he was clearly not going to win over his wife's affections. His anger toward Rachel grew. She was the reason that he was estranged from his wife. He angrily made his way to the Inn. Maybe that man who was looking for Rachel, was still at the Inn.

He knocked on the door of the strange man who had introduced himself as Jamie. He wanted to get Rachel out of Echo Town for good.


	26. Chapter 26

**Sorry for the long wait. Anyway hope you enjoy the update!**

* * *

Jamie stood at the door looking at the strange man standing in front of him. The man looked angry. Jamie wasn't sure why this man visiting him.

"You are looking for a girl?" Henry asked.

"Yes," Jamie replied. "How do you know that?"

"Does it matter how I know? I know where she is," Henry stated. Jamie looked at the man warily. He was quite suspicious of this small town.

"How do you know where she is?" Jamie asked.

"She's been in town for a while now."

Jamie was not sure what to think about this man.

"Look you want to find the girl or not?" Henry shouted loudly. Henry immediately regretted it. He heard someone come running up the steps. "Listen they're going to-"

"Henry!" Hossan the Innkeeper shouted. The overweight man continued his jogging up the stairs, Dunhill was with him. Dunhill grabbed Henry's arm. The pressure on his arm was enough to make Henry stop talking. "Is this man bothering you?"

"No he's not," Jamie advised. Dunhill dragged Henry down the stairs.

"Don't listen to them!" Henry shouted. "Check the mansion!"

"I'm so sorry about that," Hossan stated. "He is the town's drunk. We've been trying to control him for a while now, but his hallucinations are getting worse. He thinks he sees people, but he doesn't really, it's quite sad."

"Oh ok thanks," Jamie mumbled. He quickly shut the door. He was more than ready to leave Echo Town. It had sounded promising for a moment, but of course it was too good to be true. Jamie quickly began packing his bags, he wanted to leave as early in the morning as he could. He was done with Echo Town.

* * *

Alex stared at his beautiful nurse. Her brow was furrowed in anger and she had crossed her arms over her chest. Her left foot was tapping the ground, a move he'd seen her do often when she was getting impatient. He knew she was awaiting his answer. He knew the truth would drive Gina away. Gina saw things in black and white.

"Alex just what aren't you telling me?" Gina asked.

"Nothing," Alex said instantly.

"Do you think I am that dumb?" Gina asked.

"Gina I..." Alex started. Vaughn burst into the room.

"Sorry to bother you cuz," Vaughn replied. "I have some pressing matter to discuss with you. Family stuff." The tone in Vaughn's voice was clear enough of a warning.

"But of course," Alex stated. "Give me a moment please." Gina sighed, but relented. She nodded slightly. Alex could see that she avoided even looking at Vaughn. Alex and Vaughn exited.

"What?" Alex hissed quietly, as soon as they were well out of earshot.

"Be careful what you tell that little tart of yours," Vaughn warned. Alex bristled at hearing him call Gina that.

"Now you listen-"

"No you listen!" Vaughn insisted. "You keep your mouth shut or, I will make sure she pays." Vaughn walked away. Alex knew well enough that Vaughn was serious. He sighed preparing to lie to the woman he was falling in  
love with.

* * *

Lyla stretched comfortably in her bed. The sun was shining brightly through the window, and her thoughs drifted pleasantly to the night before. She felt a flush come over her pale face as she recalled how brazenly she had acted the day before. It had been quite a while since she'd enjoyed the company of a man in that capacity. She stretched out her body, allowing the warm sunshine fall over her. Her plan was to seduce Jack. Lyla had spent most of her life being the good girl. She had never done anything like this before. It was certainly beyond her scope of comfort, but Lyla was bored with comfortable. Jack was handsome and he could bring some excitement to her life. Jack was a refreshing change from the monotony that was Lyla's life before this.

Lyla hummed a little song as she prepared her breakfast and performed her morning routines. She was awaiting Jack's arrival to the shop She looked forward to seeing him walk in every morning. Her heart would start beating faster everytime he walked in. As Usual, Jack walked in right on time. He looked very worn out.

"You doing okay?" Lyla asked.

"Yeah," Jack replied. "Just had a long night last night."

"Oh really?" Lyla asked.

"Yeah," Jack answered. Lyla's curiousity piqued. She couldn't help but wonder if there was another woman who had kept him up so late. She immediately chided herself for that thought.

"Well, if you need a day off..." Lyla trailed off. She didn't want him to leave really. She enjoyed her days with her.

"Nah," Jack scoffed. "I'm fine." He continued working. Lyla's brow furrowed. They had shared such a special moment yesterday, and today he was acting like nothing had happened. He had warned her that he was no good for her, but she hadn't thought he would be so distant. She shrugged it off. Hopefully things would get better as the day progressed.

Dunhill made his way to the mansion. He had to warn Rachel. Sanjay answered the door.

"Sir Dunhill, what can I do for you today?" Sanjay asked.

"It's about Rachel, she's in danger." With that Sanjay allowed the mayor into the house.

Jamie awoke with a start. Today he would finally leave Echo Town. After all that had happened, he was quite ready to be done. The large man behind the Inn's counter jovially greeted him.

"I'm sorry about the disruption last night," he quipped. "Was your stay okay other than that?"

"It was fine," Jamie mumbled. He didn't want to make any more small talk, he just wanted to get out.

On his way out of town, Jamie saw a rather large mansion. His thought echoed to what the man's words from the night before.

"What the hell," he mumbled to himself. He walked up to the mansion. Taking a look at it, it appeared to be locked up tight. Jamie peeked in the windows to see linens draped over the furniture. He sighed. It appeared that no one was living in the house. He sighed. Another dead end.

* * *

Rachel found herself seated in lovely private train car. They had left quite quickly the night before when Dunhill had warned them about what Henry had done. It had been Sanjay's idea to cover the furniture to make it appear as if no one was living there. It had taken a chunk of the night, but they had gotten everything they needed packed up, including the alpacas to bring them to Turmerton. It had been decided that Rachel would stay there until they could find out more information.

She looked around the car she was sitting in. The furnishings were almost as plush as the mansion. A well dressed woman came up to them with a tray of goodies. Beautifully arranged cakes and pastries were laid out on a silver platter. The woman had a rather dour look on her stunning face. She had dark brown hair and sunkissed brown skin. The girl had an air of superiority that made Rachel feel uncomfortable. It was clear to Rachel, that this girl was accustomed to being around royalty. She wondered if all servants of royalty had this air of sophistication, or if it was just the way that Amir's servants were treated. The girl looked at Rachel with a slight disdain, as if she could recognize instantly that Rachel did not belong here in this world of elegance and sophistication. Rachel knew she didn't. She looked instead to Tina, who had managed to tag along. The young reporter was not willing to allow her chance to interview royalty slip through her fingers. Rachel also suspected that part of it had to do with her wanting to keep close tabs. She had called Tina to advise her of the trip, and Tina had talked her way into an invite. Now, Rachel was actually glad. It was quite disconcerting being surrounded by such haughty people.

"So which one you got the hots for?" Tina asked abruptly. She took a rather large bite of apricot cake.

"Pardon me?" Rachel asked. She flushed slightly.

"Come on," Tina prodded in between bites. "There's gotta be one of em you're after. I mean it's clear they both want you!"

"I think you are mistaken," Rachel insisted.

"Okay," Tina replied sarcastically. "Whatever you say." She continued to eat her cake. Rachel was too unsettled to eat. She couldn't get the nagging feeling out of the pit of her stomach. Her memory was coming back in slow patches. She didn't like the memories she had. They were frightening and painful. She sighed and looked out the nearest window.

"Who am I?" She whispered to herself


	27. Chapter 27

Rachel stepped off the train ready to be on solid ground again. After riding for a while, she was feeling quite ill. She gripped Tina's hand. Tina smiled encouragingly. Rachel was not quite sure what she was doing here. It was evident by watching the glamorous people around her, that she did not belong in a place like this. Tall buildings stood, and there was a bustling marketplace right near the train station. Even the merchants appeared to be dressed exquisitely.

"My lady how are you feeling?" Sanjay asked. His voice was full of concern. Rachel stared up at him, unsure what to say. He smiled gently.

"A bit tired from the ride is all," Rachel replied. She was also a bit overwhelmed by the city itself. She was quite sure she had never been in a city such as this before. A young girl came running up squealing. Rachel jumped. The girl flung her arms around Amir, and also around Sanjay.

"Hello miss Anais," Sanjay greeted. The young girl looked like a younger version on Amir. She glanced at Rachel and Tina.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Miss Anais, this is Rachel and her friend Tina. They have come along for the visit," Sanjay introduced. Rachel held her hand out to the girl. "This is Amir's younger sister Anais." Anais stared at Rachel's hand and simply nodded. It was clear that she didn't think it worth her time to shake Rachel's hand.

"Anais!" Amir scolded. "Do not be so rude to my guests!" Rachel turned to look at the prince who had finally come out of the train. He looked rather angry. "Please excuse my sister, she is quite snooty at times."

"Amir!" Anais pouted. "If you didn't always insist on fraternizing with commoners." Rachel could hear the disdain in the young girl's voice.

"Enough!" Amir chided. Anais dropped her head. She shot a glare towards Rachel and Tina, but said nothing more.

"Well I certainly hope that's not an indicator for the rest of out trip," Tina whispered in Rachel's ear. Rachel nodded in agreement. She certainly hoped the rest of Amir's family were pleasant.

* * *

"Alex are you in some kind of trouble?" Gina asked. Alex looked Gina in the eye and smiled. He grasped her hand in his own.

"No my dear, Mark is just a man with a past. I wish I could tell you, but I can't," Alex replied. Gina searched his eyes for any indication that he was lying to her. When Mark had interrupted them, she had become very suspicious. She had left it alone for the day, but wasn't about ready to give it up. So she brought it up again when they were having dinner. She could tell that he was still holding back something.

"Well he's not a good influence on you," Gina insisted. Alex couldn't help but laugh. If only she really knew. "It's not funny!"

"I know, but V-... Mark is Mark." He caught himself before he called him Vaughn. Gina eyed him, but said nothing more.

Later, while walking home, Gina was lost in thought about what Alex was binding from her. She had been in love with Alex for so long, and yet now, it seemed all wrong. Suddenly, out of the bushes man dressed in all black attacked her. Gina went to scream, but her mouth was covered by a large hand.

"You shouldn't have asked so many questions!" A voice rasped in her ear. Gina struggled against him, she recognized the voice. Fear gripped her as she struggled against the man who claimed to be Alex's cousin. She felt something hard smash against her leg. She nearly fell to the ground. She struggled to stay standing and bit him hard in the hand, the man let go of her mouth, and she let out a blood curdling scream. She felt something hard against her head, then felt nothing more.

* * *

Lyla snuggled against Jack as they sat on the couch. Jack had stopped fighting his attraction to Lyla. He only hoped he wouldn't hurt her too much. He was a FIA agent first and foremost, and he was significantly older than her. Lyla didn't seem to care about how old he was, but he wondered what she would think about him lying to her.

Their comfortable scene was shattered by the loud scream that pierced through the night. Jack instinctively jumped up. It was clear the scream came from nearby.

"What was that?" Lyla asked.

"Stay here," Jack ordered. He crept out her door. Lying crumpled in the street a few yards away from Lyla's door was nurse. Jack ran over to feel for a pulse. She appeared to be alive, but just barely, she'd taken quite a few blows to the head.

"What's going on?" Lyla called out. She was standing in the doorway.

"Get back inside!" Jack ordered. "Call Gwen!" Lyla disappeared from the doorway. Jack pulled his shirt off and tried to stop some of the blood that was coming out of her head. He knew this had to be the work of Vaughn. His eyes scanned the surrounding area, but saw nothing. It was too dark, and Vaughn could have easily gotten away. It was rather bold of him to do it in such a public place, perhaps he was getting more desperate.

Gwen came running up to where Jack was administering to Gina. She was much worse than Gwen had thought she would be.

"Who is that?" Lyla called out from the doorway.

"Please see to Lyla," Gwen pleaded. "It would be very bad for her to see this. We need a chopper called in, she'll need to go to the city." Jack left her side. Gwen tried to remain calm. She was getting tired of people in her town turning up like this. It was clear that Gina was clinging to her life. At that moment Alex came running up.

"Oh my goddess!" He shouted.

"Alex," Gwen ordered. "You need to stay away. Jack's calling a chopper in. She needs to go to a hospital!" Alex stood rooted in his spot.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. Gwen mentally checked that comment and turned back to Gina.

Alex felt the world spinning around him. This had to be Vaughn's work. Alex's hands clenched into fists. Without Gina, none of this would be worth it anymore.


	28. Chapter 28

**More action to come. Things are coming to a head.**

* * *

Gwen knelt down beside Gina who was barely conscious. She was making wimpering noises.

"You're okay Gina," Gwen kept saying over and over. "You're going to be okay." Alex stood above her.

"I need to examine her!" Alex cried out.

"No you are far too emotional," Gwen replied. Gwen had some EMT experience, so she continued to administer some treatment to Gina.

"The helo's on it's way," Jack informed. He had come running back up. "What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to take care of Lyla," Gwen advised. Jack nodded and returned to the small house.

Lyla was sitting in her chair her eyes glossed over staring at the wall. She was holding herself rocking back and forth. Jack's heart went out to the girl. He had seen this type of seen quite a bit as an agent, but he knew that common citizens were not accustomed to seeing things like this.

"Is she going to be okay?" Lyla asked without looking away from the spot in the wall. Jack knelt down in front of her.

"It's too soon to tell yet," Jack soothed. "Lyla are you okay?" Lyla shook her head. She wondered how Jack could be so calm. She had never seen anything like that. When she had seen Gina on the ground after being attacked, everything seemed to stop. She looked into Jack's calm eyes.

"How are you so calm?" Lyla asked. "How can you not be freaking out?" Jack sighed. He wasn't sure what to tell her.

"I guess you could say I've seen a lot of things in my life," Jack replied.

"From living on the streets?" Lyla asked. Jack swallowed past the knot in his throat. For whatever reason he no longer wanted to lie to this woman. But he had to. To protect himself and now to protect her. It was clear that Vaughn was becoming more and more of a loose cannon. He could no live with Lyla being hurt because she knew too much.

"Yes," he answered.

"Jack, will you stay here with me tonight?" Lyla asked.

"Of course," Jack replied.

* * *

Rachel allowed herself to be led by a servant into a large room. She was amazed by the size of the place. It made Amir's house in Echo Town appear like it was a small shack. Thankfully, the King and Queen had been much more receptive than Amir's younger sister. Rachel didn't need any help feeling inferior, she already felt like that on her own. Rachel still couldn't be sure if she was her own person or a replication of another.

"Here is your room miss," the servant replied. He smiled sweetly at Rachel. "Can I get you anything?"

"Oh no," Rachel answered. She already felt a bit out of place being led around by a servant. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"You're very welcome," the servant replied. She detected a hint of surprise in his voice. "Please let me know if you need anything."

Rachel smiled. With the exception of Amir's sister had been so pleasant to her. She could almost relax. There was a light knock on the door. Rachel walked over to answer it. Sanjay stood in the doorway with a tray of tea.

"I imagine you are exhausted after all that travel, I have prepared some tea for you," Sanjay informed. Rachel found herself blushing.

"Thank you," Rachel mumbled. She allowed Sanjay into her room. He set the tea on the night stand next to her bed. Rachel sat down on the bed next to him. She couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement at her proximity to him. He brought out all her nerves.

"Is something the matter?" Sanjay asked.

"No, you just make me nervous," Rachel answered without thinking. She quickly covered her mouth. Why had she said that. Sanjay just chuckled softly.

"I do not wish to make you nervous," Sanjay soothed. He placed his hand on top of Rachel's. Rachel looked up at him. Feelings of self consciousness and anticipation raced through her head. She couldn't control her erratic heartbeat. Sanjay's head drew closer to hers.

The door suddenly flew open and Amir stood in the doorway.

"Dinner is ready," Amir announced. Rachel fought against the disappointment. The moment was now gone.

"Let us proceed to dinner," Sanjay replied.

* * *

"You've crossed a line!" Alex shouted at Vaughn. Alex could handle a lot of things, but this was too much. Seeing Gina in that state made him angry. "If you think I am going to provide an alibi for you, you are sorely mistaken."

"Do I need to remind you what is at stake?" Vaughn threatened.

"It no longer matters, all I've ever done was for her!" Alex shouted. Vaughn grabbed Alex's collar.

"You are walking a dangerous line here," Vaughn advised. Alex didn't care. Vaughn could threaten him all he wanted at this point, Alex no longer cared. He was too worried about Gina.

"No you are," Alex countered. "I have accepted that my reputation is over, but you, you are on the hook for so much more."

"You realize I could get rid of you?" Vaughn threatened.

At that moment there was a knock on the Sanatorium door.

"Doctor it's Gwen!" a voice from behind the door called out. Vaughn released Alex's collar. Vaughn grumbled angrily at Alex. Alex walked towards the door.

"Good afternoon Alex," Gwen greeted. "I just have a few questions for you." Alex glanced back at Vaughn.

"Let me come with you to your office, I'll tell you everything I know."


	29. Chapter 29

**Sorry for the long break. Thanks for the reviews. More romance to come. And drama of course**

* * *

"Alex!" Vaughn called out.

"What?"

Alex sighed, exasperated. Vaugn gripped Alex's shoulder tightly.

"I thought you were going into the city to check on Gina's progress," Vaughn stated sharply.

"No," Alex answered sharply. He was growing tired of the scare tactics that Vaughn seemed to be constantly using these days.

"I'll call the hospital for you, hopefully nothing happens to her," Vaughn squeezed Alex's shoulder a little harder. "I have a friend there, he will be able to give me accurate information on her status."The warning was clear, if he talks, Gina would be killed. Alex sighed, he was more than ready to confess, but he needed to think about Gina. She was quite possibly the best thing that had ever happened to him. He owed her at least that much to think about her well being. Alex had never been a good guy, by any stretch of the imagination, but he was not capable of the type of violence that Vaughn committed. He shut his eyes tightly as he thought of poor Gina laying in the hospital bed.

"Understood," Alex responded tersely. He needed to tread very carefully. Vaughn's threat was clear, and it would be all too easy for him to call his associate and kill Gina. Gina meant nothing to Vaughn. Alex was beginning to see how very few people actually meant something to Vaugn. They were just tools to be used to gain whatever it was he needed. Alex could not afford to make any mistakes. He didn't have the money and the lawyers of Maion corp behind him like Vaughn did. It was very likely that he would be the one to go down for all of this.

"Are you coming?" Gwen asked, trying to keep her voice sounding sympathetic. She had surveyed the scene with probing eyes. The veiled threat that Vaughn had made to Alex didn't escape her, but she hoped for Gina's sake Vaughn didn't realize that she caught on.

"Yes," Alex replied meekly. He glanced back once more at Vaughn, gave him the most reassuring look he could muster, then exited the Sanatorium with Gwen.

* * *

Rachel couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to grow up living in such a luxurious palace. As she was led down the hallway back to her room.

Dinner had been interesting. Rachel had been reserved and very careful to not draw too much attention to herself. Tina, on the other hand, had openly praised the food, and conversed easily with the king and queen. Rachel was awed by the ease at which Tina spoke with royalty. For Tina, it was if she were speaking to anyone else. For Rachel it was much less so.

Lost in thought, Rachel failed to see that Amir had come up beside her. she startled when she looked over to see him walking next to her instead of the servant who had been guiding her back.

"Did you find dinner enjoyable?" Amir asked. Rachel lowered here head and nodded. The food had been quite possibly the best she had ever eaten. It was certainly the best she had ever remembered. "I am glad to hear that." Rachel thought she could detect a slight nervousness in his voice. She could not imagine what a prince would have to be nervous about. He said nothing more.

"Thank you for the kindness you've extended me," Rachel stated softly, the silence between them was too much to bear. "I appreciate the friendship you have extended to me." A look of frustration quickly flashed across Amir's face, then, just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. It left Rachel wondering if she had really seen it. She certainly hoped that she hadn't done anything to anger him. After the kindness he'd extended, that was the last thing she wanted to do.

* * *

"I don't understand," Lyla said softly. Jack could see that she was still in shock. Her eyes stared vacantly at some random spot on the wall. "Things like that just don't happen here." Jack could see Lyla attempting to come to terms with what she had seen. Gina had been severely beaten. It was a sight that Jack had seen before, but Lyla had not.

"Just try not to think about it," Jack soothed.

"Try not... Are you serious? Try not to think?" Lyla spat out. "How are you so calm? How can you.." Lyla burst into tears. Jack was not really sure of what to say at this point. He had never been particularly good at comforting people.

"I've seen worse," Jack admitted. Lyla pulled out of her trance, and eyed him curiously. She couldn't help but wonder what he meant by that, but she let it slide. Tonight she needed his comfort. Tomorrow she'd go about figuring out Jack.


	30. Chapter 30

Who is Jack? Lyla thought. She watched him sleeping in her bed. She was so grateful that he had stayed the night. He had been so sweet and kind. It was strange for a man who was a vagabond to be like him. She knew that there was more to him than just a wandering man. He was too intelligent, too attentive. There was an authoritative quality about him as well.

Lyla had met men who liked to wander, like Basil. He came to town to study the plant life. It hurt slightly to think of him. He would always show up with a new type of flower that he had pressed dry for Lyla. His serious stare and bright green eyes locked on her face. Lyla would welcome him into her home and her bed. Lyla had loved him. In his own way Basil had loved her. But Basil was never one to settle down in one place. Lyla had a feeling that he had as many women as he had places that he studied. It wasn't enough for her, but she had been powerless to deny him.

But Jack was not like Basil. There was something sturdy about him. Jack was consistent. Last night he had been strong. And when he has found Gina, he'd been surprisingly calm and knew exactly what to do. There was something unsettling about the way Jack has handled the entire situation, it has almost been professional. Maybe in his former life he'd been a paramedic, he certainly seemed to know enough about how to handle the situation. None of it made any sense.

Jack stirred and slowly opened his eyes. When his eyes met Lyla's he smiled.

"Good morning," he greeted. The drowsiness in his voice gave it a languid almost fluid quality. Lyla found her heart beat quicken as he spoke. She tried her best to control her feelings. Jack had made it perfectly clear that he was not looking for anything serious.

"Morning," she greeted. "Thanks for staying with me last night." Jack chuckled.

"You're welcome," Jack replied. He stopped himself for shaking his head. He couldn't remember a single time where a woman had ever thanked him for spending the night. Lyla had an innocence about her that was undeniable. Guilt nudged at him, he shouldn't be getting this woman's hopes up. After this case was done, he would be moving on. She had a strange look on her face. He detected a bit of pain behind her eyes. What had she been thinking of before he had woken up? Perhaps it had been the events of the night before that had made her look as she did. It would be hard for anyone to see their friend in a state like Lyla had seen Gina. Jack knew who was responsible, but also knew that he couldn't touch him. Not now. It was too soon. He sighed heavily. At least for right now he would have to sit tight and wait until one of them slipped up.

* * *

Gwen was being stonewalled. Alex had come with her more than willing to talk about what he knew, then Vaughn had interrupted. She could recognize the thinly veiled threat that he had made. Alex had said very little after that. After a half an hour of asking him questions to get him to talk, she finally let him go home. It was aggravating, because she knew as well as anyone else that Vaughn was singularly responsible for the attack on Gina, and Kurt's death. Her head was pounding from a headache. She poured herself another cup of coffee. She was not usually a coffee drinker, but today, she needed the extra pick me up. The case was getting out of hand, and more people were getting hurt. She needed to get to the bottom of this and fast before Vaughn hurt anyone else she cared about.

Rachel sat in the garden thinking about everything. It was hard to believe what she had been told about herself. Her memories were starting to comeback more and more. It was startling.

"Hello," Sanjay greeted. He sat down next to her. "Do you like it here?" Rachel looked up into his kind eyes. She searched for any sign that he may have thought she was an abomination. Even though he had assured her he didn't, she felt like she was one.

"It's beautiful," Rachel sighed. She suddenly felt nervous. Sanjay grabbed her hand. Rachel giggled nervously. "I..." She couldn't think of anything to say. Looking into his eyes made her feel almost entranced.

"Do you know how beautiful you are Miss Rachel?" Sanjay asked. He sounded a bit breathless. He leaned towards her. Before she knew what was happening, his lips were against hers. She felt the excitement flow through her. It felt right to be here with him in this moment. When he pulled away she sighed.

"What was that all about?" Rachel asked. Her voice sounded shaky.

"I'm sorry, was that too presumptuous of me?" Sanjay asked. Rachel smiled and shook her head. In response she kissed him again.

* * *

Jamie returned to Flowerbud feeling deflated. He was tired of searching for the girl. He wasn't looking forward to what Vaughn would have to say to him. He also had the feeling that he was missing something.

"What are you doing back here?" Vaughn snarled. Jamie shrunk back from him.

"She's gone," Jamie explained. Vaughn grabbed his shirt collar.

"That's not acceptable!" Vaughn shouted. Alex came into the room. "Both of you are incompetent!"

"I believe you'd said that before," Alex said dryly.

"You aren't taking this seriously enough!" Vaughn shouted. "If it were up to me I'd get rid of the both of you right now!" Vaughn let Jamie go. Jamie felt relief until Vaughn's fist connected with his jaw.


	31. Chapter 31

"Basil?" Lyla asked. She couldn't believe for a moment what she was seeing. But there he was standing in shop. On any other occasion, she would have been happy to see him, but looking at him now, she was not. Basil smiled at her.

"Good morning beautiful," he greeted. He smiled brightly at her. "I have a new flower I found, I pressed it for you." He sauntered up to the counter. Lyla smiled politely back. She couldn't help but compare him to Jack, and she found him lacking. She wondered now how she ever could have thought that he was someone she could love. Jack came out of the back room at that moment. Basil had taken her hand and was raising it up to his lips.

Jack watched this exchange, and couldn't help but feel jealous. It was ridiculous, he had no claims to this girl. Lyla blushed, when she met his eye.

"Basil," Lyla said. "I would like for you to meet my new hired hand, his name is Jack." The man Lyla called Basil turned to look in Jack's direction. Jack could clearly see the man was unhappy with his presence in Lyla's store.

"You're Lyla's employee?" Basil asked. Jack could hear the disdain in the man's voice. It made him bristle.

"Yes," he answered curtly.

"Oh," Basil said. "Nice to meet you." Jack could hear the animosity in the smaller man's voice.

"Likewise," Jack replied. He quickly made himself busy, filling some of Lyla's delivery orders.

"Lyla, are you free tonight for dinner?" Basil asked. Lyla stared at him. She knew he was asking this as a mere formality. Lyla never declined an invite from him. Lyla was in fact not free for dinner, she and Jack had made plans already.

"Actually, I'm busy tonight," Lyla said. She watched the shock on Basil's face. Clearly he had thought that he would come back to Flowerbud with a willing and ready Lyla waiting for him. She couldn't help but feel a bit smug at the look on his face.

"Well then, how about tomorrow?" Basil asked.

"Sure," Lyla answered. She wanted to talk to him anyway. This thing between them couldn't go on any longer. It hurt her too much. Lyla looked up at Jack who had an unreadable expression on his face. She couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking.

* * *

Rachel walked around her small room humming a cheerful tune. She had been humming the same tune since encountering Sanjay in the garden. It had been so pleasant to sit with him uninterrupted. She very rarely had time with Sanjay that Amir did not dominate the conversation. She felt a rush of emotions remembering the all to brief kiss. She glanced in the mirror, and she could see a slight flush rising on her cheeks.

"What has you so cheery this morning?" Tina asked as she stopped into her room.

"Oh! Tina!" Rachel exclaimed. "How are you this morning."

"I'm fine, not as good as you are," Tina mused. Rachel felt herself blushing even more. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, I am just in a good mood this morning," Rachel lied. Tina crossed her arms over her chest. It was apparent that Tina did not believe her.

"I did not become a reporter without figuring out when people are lying," Tina insisted. "And you my dear are lying." There was no vindictiveness in her voice. Rachel smiled at Tina sheepishly. She had wanted to tell someone about what happened anyway. She sat down on the bed and started telling Tina about what had happened.

* * *

Amir walked happily to Rachel's room. He had decided that today would be the day he made his move. He had been attracted to Rachel since had first seen her. There had been something innocent about her, even after finding out about what she was, it hadn't deterred him. He stopped as he heard giggling coming from her room.

"Sanjay kissed you?" Amir heard Tina ask in an excited voice. Amir stopped short. He wondered who Tina was talking to.

"Yes," came Rachel's voice. "Yesterday in the garden."

"I thought you had a thing for Amir," Tina stated.

Amir walked away. He no longer wanted to hear what Rachel had to say.

Sanjay was preparing tea when Amir came into the kitchen. He smiled at the prince, who did not smile back.

"Is something the matter?" Sanjay asked.

"Yes," Amir stated. "We need to talk about Rachel." Sanjay looked at Amir.

"What about her?" Sanjay asked.

"I like her," Amir stated pointedly. "I want the opportunity to woo her." Sanjay had never before felt angry with his boss, but he felt angry in this moment.

"So what exactly are you saying?" Sanjay asked.

"I'm asking you to back off," Amir insisted.

"Shouldn't it be up to her?" Sanjay asked. After they had kissed, Rachel had confessed her feelings for him. Sanjay was not sure he was willing to step aside to let Amir take over.

"I'm asking you to back off," Amir repeated. There was a thinly veiled threat in his voice.

"I don't know if I am willing to do that," Sanjay answered. Amir glared at Sanjay and abruptly turned out of the kitchen.


	32. Chapter 32

Sanjay made his way to the king's room with his afternoon tea. His heart was pounding after what Amir had confronted him with. Rachel had been the one thing he had not conceded to Amir. He knew Amir was angry, possibly angry enough to find a reason to have him fired. He wanted to plead his case with the King first. To his dismay, Amir was already in the King's chambers.

"Hello Sanjay," the King greeted. "I was just about to summon you." Sanjay felt dismayed. The King smiled at him. "Amir tells me you wish to go back to Echo Town, is that correct?" Sanjay stood unable to believe what was being said. Had Amir really betrayed him in such a way? He was not sure what to say at first, but he knew he'd never defy Amir in front of his father.

"If Prince Amir wishes me to go, I will go," Sanjay replied.

"That is not what I asked, Sanjay," the King stated. "You know I have always thought of you like a son. Is that what you wish?" Sanjay looked at the floor. He did not wish to make Amir angry. He had feared losing his job and home. Being sent back to Echo Town wouldn't be so bad, but he knew Amir's true ambition for wanting Sanjay back at the Echo Town Home.

"If Amir thinks I should go to Echo Town, then I am going to go," Sanjay answered demurely.

"Then it's set," Amir stated. "I have already made arrangements for you to go back tomorrow." Sanjay simply nodded, then left the room. He found himself disliking Amir in that moment. He had never felt this way before. He was angry with his friend got treating him in such a way. Sanjay sighed, he was so used to stepping down when Amir asked him to, he knew that it would be difficult to try and stop now.

* * *

Lyla sat down with Basil, she had cooked a very nice dinner for the two of them. Basil looked a bit perturbed. Lyla smiled as sweetly as she could at him. She had finally cleared the dishes, and was ready to talk to him.

"So who is this Jack?" Basil asked. Lyla heard a touch of jealousy in his voice. She would have felt a bit giddy at that a few months earlier, but ever since Jack had come into her life, she had changed. Now, she found herself bristling at the thought.

"He's a man that's down on his luck. I needed help so I hired him," Lyla explained. Basil's face turned down in a sneer.

"So he's a no good drifter?" Basil asked.

"I wouldn't say that," Lyla said. "He's been very helpful to me." Basil rolled his eyes. Basil turned to her then. This was usually the time of the evening that he would make his move. Lyla's heart thudded in her chest, she knew tonight would be different. He leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled away.

"What's wrong?" Basil asked. He sounded angry. Lyla took a deep breath.

"Basil, I can't keep doing this with you," Lyla stated. "You are so sweet to me when you're here, but I can't keep giving my heart to you, when you don't give me yours."

"It's him isn't it?" Basil asked angrily.

"No, it's not just that. Basil I've been wanting to say this to you for a while. I loved you for so long, but you have done nothing but leave me," Lyla asserted.

"You've always known what this is Lyla," Basil said. "I've loved you the best way that I can."

"Well, maybe that is no longer good enough for me," Lyla replied. Basil looked at her angrily.

"Why are you doing this?" Basil asked. "We had a good thing going here, I don't understand why you feel the need to ruin this."

"A good thing going? For whom? You?" Lyla demanded. "You come here, you get a place to stay. I welcome you into my house and my bed, and you leave after a few weeks! How is that a good thing for me?" Lyla felt the tears forming in her eyes. "I deserve better than that Basil!"

"Lyla," Basil sighed. "You know I can't give you what you want."

"Then I can no longer give you what you want," Lyla insisted.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Basil sighed. "I will be at the Inn if you change your mind." Basil stood up, he gave Lyla one more look of longing.

"Okay," Lyla replied. "Goodbye Basil."

"Goodnight," Basil said. He walked out the door. Lyla felt conflicting emotions of fear and relief.  


* * *

  
Rachel waited expectantly for Sanjay to bring her afternoon tea. She enjoyed the time of day when he would sit in her room and talk. She was especially looking forward to it after the kiss they shared the day before. She glanced at the door again, but he still did not come in. Rachel felt disturbed. They had such an honest conversation the day before. He finally came to the door. He looked demure.

"Sanjay!" Rachel exclaimed. She ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck.

"Miss Rachel," Sanjay said, when she let him go. "It is with great sadness that I say I have been sent back to Echo Town." Rachel's eyes widened.

"Why?" Rachel asked. Sanjay stared at Rachel. He found himself unable to lie to her.

"Amir," Sanjay answered. "He's taken quite a shine to you."

"What?" Rachel asked.

"Rachel," Sanjay moaned. Rachel reached out to him. Sanjay let her. He found he could deny this girl nothing. Rachel kissed him soundly. He wrapped his arms around her.

"Please don't leave," Rachel pleaded. She gripped him tightly. "I don't want you to leave!"

"Ahh pretty lady, I don't want to leave myself, but I am in the employ of the King and Prince."

"I cannot abide by this!" Rachel insisted. "I have no interest in Amir. It is you that I want, it's always been you!" Rachel's tears slipped down her cheeks. She was not ready to give up Sanjay. He had finally kissed her, and it had been glorious. She had been falling for him since he's helped her with the Alpacas.

"I cannot," Sanjay said dismayed. Rachel hugged him fiercely and raised her lips to kiss him. Sanjay found himself unable to refuse her kiss.

"I will come with you then," Rachel announced.

"It is still too dangerous for you," Sanjay sighed.

"I don't care," Rachel argued. Sanjay shook his head. She looked stunningly beautiful when she argued.

"I do," Sanjay whispered. "I want you safe." Rachel smiled through her tears. How could she argue with this man? She hugged him tighter, not wanting to let him go.  


* * *

  
Alex packed a small overnight bag. He needed to see Gina. She was in a coma, and still not out of the woods yet. It angered him how Vaughn had beaten her so badly. Gina was clinging to life.

"Just where the hell do you think you're going?" Vaughn asked.

"To go see Gina," Alex answered. Vaughn's eyes narrowed.

"Like hell you are!" he shouted.

"Look you piece of shit! I've don't everything you and your boss have asked me to do! I'm going to see Gina!" Alex shouted. Vaughn glared at him, but did nothing. Alex realized why he backed down; Vaughn and Will needed him. He hadn't realized that he had power over them before, but now he did. He would have to use that in the future.

* * *

Felicity made her way to the farmhouse. She had asked Michelle, the magician to come with her. She was not prepared to face Henry alone. She knocked on the door lightly. She heard a shuffle, when Henry answered. He looked as if he hadn't shaved for days.

"Felicity," he said. His voice reeked of alcohol. She felt disgusted with her husband. It was merely eight in the morning. She glanced back at him and saw the disarray of what used to be her stunning house.

"I'm not here for a social visit," Felicity stated when he reached for her. "I'm here to get my cookbooks." Henry grumbled something Felicity could not hear. After a few moments he stepped back to allow the girls in. The place was worse than she thought. It smelled of moldy, rotten food. There were dishes piled up in the sink, and clothes strewn about the living room. She shook her head. It really was sad to see the house looking like this. She could feel Henry's eyes on her. It was awful. She grabbed her cookbooks and left as quickly as she could. She didn't want up be in that house for any longer than she had to be.


	33. Chapter 33

Rachel stared in the mirror. She couldn't believe that Sanjay was going back to Echo Town the next day. Her eyes were red from crying. Amir knocked on the doorframe and looked into her room.

"Hello Miss Rachel," he greeted. Rachel looked up at him. His face instantly turned serious. "Oh dear goddess, what is wrong?"

"Are you really sending Sanjay back to Echo Town?" Rachel asked. Amir's face fell.

"Yes," he answered hoarsely.

"Then I want up go with him," Rachel  
asserted. Amir looked at Rachel, not knowing how to respond to her.

"It's not safe for you there," Amir echoed Sanjay's concern. Rachel said nothing in reply. Amir was distressed. He didn't like seeing Rachel so sad. He would have given anything to see her smile.

"Is there no way he can stay?" Rachel asked. Amir could hear the pleading in the young girl's voice. Amir felt deflated. Being a prince, he had never been denied anything he wanted; and he wanted Rachel. But it was evident that she did not want him in return.

"I will see," Amir sighed. The smile that came over her face was stunning, and it cut him deeply. He left Rachel's room and headed back to his father's chambers.

"I need your advise," Amir stated. The King looked up at him. Amir very rarely came to him asking for advise. Amir had been a strong willed, stubborn, and independent child.

"Yes what is it my son?" The King asked.

"It's about Rachel," Amir began. "I have been smitten with her for a while, but it turns out that I am not the one she wants."

"I could see that right away," the King answered.

"What should I do?" Amir asked.

"You cannot force matters of the heart," the king replied. "I have had my fair share of heartbreak before you dear mother."

"I guess I shouldn't send Sanjay to Echo Town," Amir admitted ruefully.

"That is between you and Sanjay," the King replied. Amir simply nodded and left his father's chambers. 

* * *

Alex held onto Gina's hand, stroking it softly. Seeing Gina in this state had his heart breaking. He knew that he did not deserve someone as sweet and kindhearted as Gina.

"I'm going to fix this I promise," Alex whispered to her softly. He heard the door behind him open, but didn't even turn around. His full attention was on Gina. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see a man standing over him. He was dressed in hospital scrubs.

"You Alex?" The man asked gruffly. Alex nodded. "I have a message for you. Your cousin wanted to send his get well wishes to your girlfriend." Alex glared at the man, the thinly veiled threat was understood.

"Thanks," Alex said bitterly. He turned back around to stroke Gina's hand. This was getting out of control. He heard the man leave the room. He was fuming. Vaughn was clearly becoming desperate if he thought it necessary to send another threat. Alex couldn't help but smile. He would love nothing more than to see Vaughn squirm. 

* * *

Gwen needed proof. She had been talking to Jack about the human replication. But they had no clues as to where this human replication was. She was running into dead end after dead end. Luckily it appeared that Vaughn and Maion Corporation were having the same problem. Her head hurt thinking about the case. More agents had been assigned to the case, but they were trying their best not to tip their hand. The longer Vaughn thought he had her fooled, the better it would be for her investigation. She was also concerned with the safety of the people in her town.

The knock on her office door broke her concentration.

"Come in," she called. She gripped her pistol. Lyla walked through the door holding a tray of food. Gwen realized at that moment just how hungry she was.

"Hi, have time for lunch?" Lyla asked.

"Yes. You're a goddess send," Gwen murmured. Lyla laughed and sat across from Gwen.

"I broke things off with Basil," Lyla sighed. Gwen looked up at her friend incredulously. Lyla and Basil had been an item for as long as she could remember. Gwen had often thought that Lyla was too good for him, but Lyla had loved him.

"What made you decide that?" Gwen asked, talking a bite of the sandwich Lyla had brought her. It was delicious.

"Jack," Lyla answered. Gwen almost choked on her food. "You alright?" The concern on Lyla's face almost distracted Gwen from why her friend had just said.

"What do you mean Jack made you change your mind?" Gwen asked.

"Truth is I like him," Lyla admitted.

"I don't think it's a good idea to get involved with him," Gwen advised.

"Oh you sound just like Jack! He told me he wasn't the settling down type, but I like him. And if I want to pursue a fling with him, then I am a grown woman capable of making up my own mind!" Lyla asserted. Gwen knew better than to argue with Lyla when she got like this.

"Just be careful," Gwen muttered. She would have a talk with Jack about this later.


	34. Chapter 34

Jack answered his phone grumpily. Very few people knew he even had a cell phone, even fewer would call him in the middle of the night.

"Jack!" Gwen's voice nearly shouted in his ear.

"What?" Jack grumbled.

"Just what the hell is going on between you and Lyla?" Gwen asked. Jack rolled his eyes. He knew that Gwen would not be happy about Lyla's feelings for him.

"Nothing, I haven't done anything. I've actually tried to dissuade her," Jack said. He didn't need this right now.

"Look she's my best friend," Gwen warned.

"Winters, I don't want to hurt her, I am doing what I can to prevent that," Jack said.

"She's something pretty special," Gwen said.

"I know," Jack replied. "I'm quite aware of that." Gwen was shocked to hear Jack say that.

"Careful, she might make you fall in love with her," Gwen teased. She waited for his laugh.

"You know, you might just be right," Jack sighed.

"Are you serious?" Gwen asked.

"I don't know," Jack admitted.

"Just don't hurt her," Gwen warned. She switched subjects to the case, which made Jack feel much more at ease. Ever since that man Basil had showed up in Lyla's flower shop, he had felt jealous. He could clearly see that there was something between Lyla and the man. It was absurd to feel jealous, she was not his. But there was something about Lyla's sweetness and kind heart that had him feeling a touch possessive.

"Gwen," Jack interrupted her briefing on Maion. "Vaughn hurt Gina. I want to make sure that Lyla's safe."

"Then watch over her," Gwen advised. Jack sighed.

"I can't do it all the time!" Jack snapped.

"Wow, I've never heard you like this," Gwen stated. "I will make sure she's safe too."

* * *

Sanjay started packing his large suitcase. He was saddened to think that he would be going back to Echo Town tomorrow afternoon. Rachel's goodbye had been heart-wrenching, but at least now he knew what she thought of him.

"Knock knock," Amir said from the doorway. Sanjay looked up. Usually he'd be happy to see the prince, but right now all he could feel was frustration.

"What can I do for you Prince Amir?" Sanjay asked. Even though he was frustrated at the prince, it was not in his nature to be rude or insubordinate.

"We need to talk," Amir sighed. "About Rachel."

"Forgive me if I am out of line, but I believe we have already had that conversation," Sanjay replied. He was not particularly in the mood to discuss Rachel with Amir again.

"I know," Amir said. There was a hint of chagrin in his voice. Sanjay looked at the prince. He had never before seen Amir act this way.

"So what else is there to say?" Sanjay asked.

"It has come up my attention that she appears to be smitten with you," Amir started. Sanjay said nothing. He simply nodded. Amir shifted uncomfortably. "I thought that perhaps separating you would make her fall in love with me instead, but I see now that won't work in winning her over."

"She is not some prize to be won," Sanjay said softly.

"I know," Amir said. "Look, I am not a man used to being denied what I want." Sanjay waited. He was unsure of what Amir wanted him to do.

"So what is it you want from me?" Sanjay asked. "You are already sending me away." Amir was shocked by Sanjay's soft tone. The loyalty of his servant hit hard.

"I want you to stay," Amir whispered. He had not been sure what he was going it say to Sanjay, but now he knew that this was the right thing. Sanjay had showed him loyalty, it was his turn to return it.

Sanjay stood frozen, he was not sure he had heard Amir correctly for a moment. He dared not ask him to repeat the words, in case he had misheard the prince.

"I bet your pardon?" Sanjay asked.

"I want you to stay," Amir repeated louder. Sanjay looked up at the prince. "You were right, she should be the one to decide who she wants."

* * *

Rachel walked hand in hand with Sanjay in the garden. She had been thrilled to hear he was no longer being sent to Echo Town. She and Tina had made a lot of progress with her memory gaps, after this afternoon's exercises with Tina, she was sure of what she was. She held onto Sanjay's hand now, wanting to remember this feeling. She was sure that once he knew for sure, he would be long gone.

"My memory is coming back more and more," Rachel sighed.

"That is a good thing right?" Sanjay asked. He had a concerned look on his face.

"Yes and no. Tina's theory about me is correct. I am a human replication," Rachel admitted. She waited for him to pull his hand away, but he did nothing of the sort. Instead, he squeezed it lightly.

"That matters not," Sanjay assured. "What matters is keeping you safe." Rachel looked up at him in awe. Was he really telling the truth? She couldn't be sure. Sanjay could see the doubt in her mind, and to ease her questioning, he softly planted a kiss on her lips.

* * *

Chelsea was breathing was raspy. It was harder for her to sleep most nights all the way through. A few days earlier she had demanded Will sleep in another room so she would not bother him. Will had balked at first, but Chelsea had been insistent. Truth was, Chelsea was ready to die. She was tired of fighting. She only held on because Will wanted her to. She sighed. How she loved Will. She felt a coughing spell coming on, and she sat up. Lifting her pillow to her face, she coughed into it, to muffle out the sound. It was at that moment she could hear Will talking. He was in the adjoining room to hers. He sounded angry. Chelsea struggled to get up.

"I don't give a damn!" Will shouted. "That replication was the only way we can save Chelsea! You tell those incompetent men to find that girl! Chelsea needs those organs!" Chelsea's eyes widened. What was he talking about? She was too tired now, she would ask him about it tomorrow.

* * *

Alex was sitting with Gina, when the machine she was hooked up to flatlined. Suddenly the room was filled hospital staff. The man who had threatened him was noticeably absent. Alex's heart thudded. He wanted desperately to help.

"What's happening?" He demanded. He was trying it get close to her. A nurse stopped him.

"Sir let us do our work," the nurse insisted. Alex relented. He knew he would be no good to Gina now. He needed to let the doctor's attend to her. He watched in horror as they made several attempts to revive her. After several minutes that felt like hours, they stopped. One of the nurses looked up at Alex.

"I'm sorry sir," she said softly. Alex quickly left the hospital room, unable to stay.


	35. Chapter 35

It took most of the night, but Tina had finally managed to track down the famous Doctor Trent Schuster. She had gotten help from the palace's information security leader. The man had once been a skilled hacker. The wealth of information he'd unearthed was incredible. She couldn't wait to talk to Rachel. It was odd how Rachel had become her close friend. This was no longer about just snagging the story of a lifetime, but was about helping her friend. She quickly retreated back to her room to make a phone call.

"Sheriff Winters," a voice said over the phone.

"Hello," Tina greeted. "I am Tina, a journalist in Echo Town, I have some information about a doctor in your town."

"What about him?" Sheriff Winters asked.

"Well, Sheriff, I suspect that he may be working with Maion Corporatiom, he was previously Trent Schuster, the doctor that started replication," Tina replied.

"Okay," the sheriff replied. Tina noticed that the woman on the other end of the phone did not sound surprised. "What is it that you want?"

"Are you already investigating this?" Tina asked.

"I can't give you any details for your story," the woman snapped.

"It's not just about a story! It's about Rachel!" Tina shouted aggravated. She would often butt heads with law enforcement, it was the nature of her job. This time it was personal.

"Who is Rachel?" Sheriff Winters asked.

"We suspect that she is the human replication that Dr Schuster and Maion created," Tina replied. She heard a gasp on the other line.

"Where are you?" The woman asked.

"I cannot tell you that, I will meet up with you, I want to make sure that you are not working with Maion first," Tina insisted.

"I assure you I am not."

"Good," Tina stated. "Now I would like to meet up with you perhaps in a town near your own."

"Where?" Sheriff Winters asked.

"Do you know where Konahona is?" Tina asked. The woman on the other line asserted that she did. "Meet me in the Tea House, tomorrow at three in the afternoon." Tina hung up the phone, excited that she might finally have the missing link in helping Rachel.

* * *

Alex burst into Gwen's office. She was still reeling from the phone call from the journalist named Tina. This was just the break that this case needed.

"Doctor can I help you?" Gwen asked.

"Yes," Alex stated. "I'm ready to tell you everything now." Gwen looked at him skeptically, he had said that before. Alex looked distraught and Gwen felt little sympathy for him. He had done this to himself as far as she was concerned. She room out her recording device. Alex looked at warily.

"Is that necessary?" Alex asked.

"Yes," Gwen answered flatly. She pushed the record button. "This is the official statement of Dr Alex Martin." Alex stared and was amazed at Gwen and how official she sounded. He had not realized just how intelligent Gwen was until now

"Dr Martin, you came to me, so if you want to talk, talk," Gwen demanded. Her patience for the doctor was running low.

"We will start with that," Alex stated. "My name is not Alex Martin, I am Doctor Trent Schuster." He waited for Gwen's response, but there was none. It was apparent that she knew who he was. He should have figured that Gwen was smart enough to find out about his past. He sighed and took a deep breath before continuing. "That man who has been staying with me is not my cousin Mark."

"I know," Gwen answered. Alex looked at Gwen. He saw a calmness in her eyes he wished he had. He struggled to keep his composure.

"He is Vaughn Layton, he works for Maion Corporation. He is the one who killed Kurt, and now Gina. A few years back Maion contacted me asking me to create a human replication," Alex started. "Judging by the look on your face you already knew that too. Alex took a photo out of his wallet and slid it over to Gwen. Gwen tentatively picked it up. She still was not sure she could trust Alex. This could be some elaborate scheme to get her to admit what she knew about him.

"So you created one," Gwen replied. It was not a question. Alex could see it in her eyes that she knew. He sighed, and nodded. "Doctor if you could please limit your responses to audible answers."

"Yes, I created a human replication. But she ran away," Alex sighed. "You see, Jamie, he was in love with her."

"Jamie was in on it too?" Gwen asked incredulously. It was the first thing that Alex had managed to surprise her with.

"Yes," Alex answered. He looked Gwen squarely in the eye and started telling her everything he knew.

* * *

Chelsea sat up in her bed. She was growing weak and tired of holding on. She knew that she didn't have time anymore. She had accepted that she was going to die, her husband had not. She breathed in a ragged breath and called meekly for Will. At first there was no response, so she called louder. A few minutes later, Will came bursting through the door.

"My love what do you need?" Will asked. He sat down next to her. Chelsea reached for his hand.

"I love you Will," she sighed happily.

"I love you too," Will replied. She looked up at his face. It was so handsome. She longed to have more time with him, but she knew it wasn't to be.

"K-kiss me," Chelsea breathed out. Will leaned forward and gently kissed his wife. "Find happiness Will." Chelsea laid back in the bed and closed her eyes. Her breathing became more ragged.

"Chelsea!" Will screamed. "No Chels, you can't leave!" He grasped her face on his hands vaguely aware of the commotion around him. "Not yet Chelsea! We are so close!" Tears streamed down his cheeks as he begged his wife to hold on just a little longer. Even as he begged her, he vaguely knew that she was already gone.

* * *

"How long will you be gone?" Rachel asked Tina. She bit her bottom lip. Tina had become such a great friend to her, and Rachel didn't want to see her go.

"Just a day or so," Tina informed. Rachel smiled and hugged her friend.

"Thank you for all your help," Rachel stated. "This will be a story of a lifetime for you." Tina could hear there was no malice in Rachel's voice, but still that comment made her feel a bit chagrined.

"This is not about my story anymore," Tina replied. She looked at Rachel, a very sincere expression on her face. Rachel had tears forming in her eyes. "Be safe my friend."

"Thank you," Rachel whispered. She watched as Tina departed for Konahana.

* * *

Gwen burst into Lyla's shop. There could be no more pretense, she needed to get Alex into protective custody. Lyla looked shocked to see Gwen.

"Hey what's up?" Lyla asked, she smiled happily.

"I'm not here for a social call Lyla, where is Jack?" Gwen asked.

"He's in the back, why-"

"Thanks," Gwen cut off. She could hear Lyla gasp, she would apologize to her friend later, right now getting Alex safe was her priority. Gwen made her way to the back room. Jack was organizing some of Lyla's stock.

"Hello," Jack greeted.

"No time for pleasantries Jack, Alex has confessed and we need to get him into protective custody!" Gwen informed. Jack looked shocked for a moment.

"What?" Jack asked.

"We've got Maion!" Gwen stated excitedly.

"Let's go then!" Jack exclaimed.

"What's going on?" Lyla asked from the door of her back room. Gwen looked at her friend.

"I don't have time to explain right now, but I will be back soon," Gwen informed. She looked into her friend's bewildered eyes. "Trust me." Lyla relented and let both Gwen and Jack go.


	36. Chapter 36

Gwen made her way over to Lyla's shop. She was not particularly looking forward to this conversation she was about to have with her best friend. Lyla was a sensitive soul and Gwen knew she would not take to being lied to lightly. Lyla was behind the counter when Gwen walked in, it was evident that her friend had been crying. Lyla felt as if she had been kicked in the gut.

"Hey Lyla," Gwen greeted solemnly. Lyla's gaze met Gwen's. She looked angry.

"What the hell is going on?" Lyla demanded. Gwen felt the words almost like a slap in the face. Lyla didn't swear. She found it distasteful. She knew that if Lyla was swearing she was angry. Gwen took a deep breath, she hadn't wanted to hurt her friend in this process.

"Jack is a FIA agent, he's here because of all the strange stuff that is going on in town," Gwen explained. Lyla's eyes grew large. Gwen could see shock mingled with hurt. Lyla's face never hid any of her emotions.

"He's here because of that strange man at Doctor Martin's isn't he?" Lyla asked. Gwen nodded. Lyla leaned against the counter.

"Yes, Lyla that man is a very dangerous man. He's a mercenary for Maion Corportion," Gwen explained. Lyla's mouth opened to form a perfect little "o." Lyla took a moment to recover from her shock.

"So what? You decided to use me as a distraction for him? Or a cover for him?" Lyla asked. The anger in her voice was barely disguised. "Is his name even Jack?"

"Lyla, I did not use you as a distraction. In fact I told him that he needed to stay away from you. And yes his name is really Jack," Gwen answered.

"No, but you sat back and let him use me?" Lyla asked. Lyla was angry. But she was more angry with herself than anyone else. She had been the one to pursue him. She knew that in the back of her mind she had thrown herself at him. Embarrassment crept in with the anger she felt. He had tried to convince her not to get involved with him.

"I'm sorry," Gwen replied. She was mad at herself. She knew how sensitive Lyla was. She had known that this could have hurt Lyla, and she hadn't stopped him.

"Gwen?" Lyla said with her eyes brimming with tears. "How could you let someone do that to me?" Gwen had no answer.

"Lyla-"

"No!" Lyla shouted. The she took a deep, shaky, breath. "I was starting to fall in love with him." Gwen gasped. She hadn't expected to hear that from her friend.

"Lyla, you should talk to Jack," Gwen urged. Lyla's tear filled eyes met her own.

"I c-can't do that right now," Lyla replied. "If you don't mind, I'd like some time alone now." Gwen simply nodded. There was nothing left to say. She quietly left Lyla's shop.

* * *

Will paced the floor of his office. For most of his life he had been able to manipulate any situation to his advantage with his money. He had finally found one thing that his considerable wealth could not fix. It was unfathomable to him that his money wasn't enough. He took a deep ragged breath. His heart felt like it was going to burst from the pain. His Chelsea, the light of his life, was gone. And Will was angry. While he still felt the devastating ache of loss, it was the the anger that overshadowed any other feeling. He picked up his phone wondering why Vaughn had not called him yet. Vaughn had promised to call once he had the doctor. Will had wanted to speak with Dr Martin in person. He no longer cared about discretion, he would have his revenge on the Doctor. All that had mattered to him was Chelsea, and now that she was gone...

The shrill ring of his phone broke his thought. He looked down to see Vaughn's name on the caller id.

"Do you have him?" Will clipped. Anyone else would have been intimidated by this tone of voice, but not Vaughn.

"No," Vaughn answered. "The doctor has disappeared."

"What?!" Will bellowed. "What the hell do you mean he's disappeared?"

"I can't find him," Vaughn answered. "But I am not going to stop till I do, believe me. As for the girl. I think it's time we find her and eliminate the evidence."

"No!" Will shouted. "I want her!"

"Will, she's not Chelsea.."

"I don't care!" Will shouted. "She is my property and I want her."

Vaughn wasn't sure what Will wanted with the girl, but he was sure it wasn't anything good. But, Vaughn had never been one to say no to anything Will asked for. He rubbed his temples. Then continued with the task at hand. He had a feeling that the sheriff may know where the good doctor was, and he had been following her for the past half hour. She was going somewhere out of Flowerbud, that much he knew. He sighed. This whole ordeal had gotten out of control. He knew that it was the personal part of this whole job that had done him in. Vaughn very rarely made mistakes, but he had made too many doing this. It had been because of Chelsea. He would have done anything for his little sister. Chelsea had been the only person in the world who could override any request from Will.

"Dammit!" Vaughn yelled. He slammed his fist against the steering wheel. None of this was going the way it was supposed to. He had underestimated the sheriff. He had thought she was a small time country bumpkin, but she was proving to be a formidable opponent. He had become complacent and lazy. Now he needed to fix what he could.

* * *

Gwen glanced again in the rear view mirror. Vaughn was still following her, which was just fine with her. As long as she knew where he was, it meant no one else could be hurt. She planned on arresting him shortly after her meeting with this news reporter. Surely Vaughn thought he was being careful, but Gwen had been looking for him to be tailing her. After Dr Martin had been taken into protective custody, she knew that Vaughn would be looking for him. She continued to watch as he maneuvered his car behind hers.

"He's getting careless," Gwen murmured to herself. Or perhaps that is what he wanted her to think? Either way she knew she would have to tread very carefully. She wasn't going to put anyone else's life in danger.

Tina waited patiently at the cafe for the sheriff to arrive. She was rather nervous about this meeting. She was still worried that perhaps Maion had bought off the sheriff. She knew that it wasn't impossible, small town sheriffs did not make much money.

"Did you need more coffee, dear?" Yun asked. Tina smiled up at the elderly woman. Yun had been friends with Tina's own grandmother.

"No thanks," Tina sighed.

"You look anxious," Yun replied.

"That obvious?" Tina asked. Yum chuckled softly.

"To this old woman it is," Yun stated. "But I've known you since you were just a wee little thing." Tina chuckled. She was about to tell Yun the reason she was at her cafe, when she saw a tall blonde haired woman walk in. She was wearing a sheriff's uniform.

"Looks like my appointment is here," Tina stated. Yun smiled and disappeared into the back room. Tina looked up at the blonde woman. "You must be Sheriff Winters."

"Yes that would be me," the blonde answered. She took a seat across from Tina. "Now what is this about the human replication?"

* * *

Yun sang happily as she was cooking. This cafe had been her dream. She only wished her darling husband were here with her. How he would have loved to be running a cafe. Life had certainly not been easy for Yun, but she had been happy. She glanced out the back window. Yun felt chills run up her spine. She recognized the man she saw outside her cafe. He had been looking for a girl. She narrowed her eyes. What was he doing back? Before she could think of anything to do, the man came bursting through the back door. Yun screamed. The man quickly grabbed her. Yun watched as the door from the front room swung open, Tina came rushing in. Another woman dressed in a sheriff's uniform followed.

"Don't come any closer!" The man holding Yun snarled. It was at that moment that Yun felt the sharp prick of something metal against her throat.

Gwen had her weapon drawn and trained on Vaughn. He was holding the elderly owner of the cafe at knifepoint. The woman was shaking in fear.

"Put your weapon away!" Vaughn shouted.

"I can't do that," Gwen replied. "Why don't you just let her go. She has nothing to do with this."

"Where is the doctor? Where is the girl?" Vaughn asked, ignoring Gwen's request. "I know you know. Now tell me!"

"Please don't hurt her!" Tina shouted.

"Then tell me where the girl is!" Vaughn demanded. Tina glanced at Gwen. She could she the struggle in her eyes. Gwen lowered her weapon slightly.

"She's in Tumerton," Gwen stated calmly. "Now why don't you let this woman go and-" Gwen's words were cut off by Yun's scream. Vaughn had jabbed his knife into her shoulder. Before Gwen could react, Vaughn shoved the older woman in Gwen's direction. Yun came tumbling forward. Gwen reached out to catch her. By the time she was able to look back up Vaughn had exited the cafe.


	37. Chapter 37

Vaughn quickly dialed Will's number. He knew that it was unlikely that he would get away, but at least Will would be able to find the girl. He kept running towards his car. "Pick up Will! Come on pick up!"

"Have you found her?" Will barked into the phone.

"She's in Tumerton," Vaughn informed.

"We'll go and get her!" Will demanded.

"Freeze!" A voice behind Vaughn yelled. Vaughn stopped in his tracks. He recognized the voice of the sheriff. Why had he underestimated that woman? "Hands up!" Vaughn didn't move.

"Who the hell is that?" Will demanded.

"I have to go," Vaughn advised Will.

"I mean it! Hands up!" Gwen shouted at Vaughn. As soon as she had determined that Yun would be okay left with Tina, Gwen had come running out after Vaughn. Vaughn's hand lowered. "Stop with your hands or I will shoot!" Vaughn's hand froze.

"There's no need for that," Vaughn sneered. Gwen bristled at his tone, it was clear to Gwen that he was being condescending. She tried her best to keep her emotions calm. Losing her cool would be an advantage for Vaughn.

"Turn around!" Gwen shouted. Vaughn slowly turned around.

"Sheriff I work for Maion Corp. We both know how this is going to end, why don't we skip all the paperwork and you just let me go," Vaughn stated.

"I don't think your fancy lawyers can get you out of this one Vaughn," Gwen said evenly. She saw his eyes narrow. "Put your hands on your head. And get down on your knees. Vaughn complied. He looked unfazed by the fact that hoe was getting arrested. Gwen was annoyed at the indifference on his face.

"You're smarter than I have you credit for sheriff," Vaughn drawled. Gwen didn't reply. Instead she stepped forward and placed handcuffs around his wrist, and started reading him his rights.

* * *

The shrill ring of the palace phone made Sanjay jump. It was so rare for anyone to call. Sanjay picked up the phone.

"Tumerton Palace," Sanjay stated.

"I need to speak with Sanjay or Amir!" A voice said frantically.

"Who is this?" Sanjay demanded. It sounded like a prank call. He hated prank calls.

"Tina!"

"Tina this is Sanjay," he said. "What is wrong?"

"You need to protect Rachel! Maion Corp knows she's there!" Tina shouted. Sanjay felt his throat tighten.

"How?" Sanjay asked.

"No time to explain! Just find Rachel and make sure she is protected!" Tina insisted.

* * *

Rachel sat in the garden alone. She needed some time to reflect. She had wanted to know who she was, but it horrified her all the same. Rachel couldn't help but feel like some kind of monster. Sanjay and Amir had assured her that they did not see her that way, but that could not stop what Rachel thought about herself. How could any of them possibly understand? She was not someone who was born, she had been created in a lab. She felt a tear slipping down her cheek.

"Why?" She whispered to herself. Her hands were clenched in her lap. She heard a noise behind her. An inexplicable fear coursed through her. She turned around.

"There you are my lady," Sanjay breathed out. Rachel looked at Sanjay curiously. He looked worried and more than a bit frazzled.

"Is everything okay?" Rachel asked.

"It is now," Sanjay replied easily. The frazzled look disappeared, and he smiled brilliantly at her. Rachel couldn't help but smile back. He was such a handsome man, and when he smiled it was infectious. "What are you doing out here alone?"

"I just needed to think," Rachel sighed. "I am still having a hard time accepting what I am."

"A beautiful woman?" Sanjay asked. Rachel smiled sadly. Sanjay was so sweet and kind." Let's go inside for some tea." He held out his hand to Rachel. Rachel accepted it, allowing him to lead her back inside.

* * *

Lyla stared at the flower arrangements that she had put together for Gina's funeral. Gina had been a friend, and an exceptional nurse. The flowers were beautiful, she had made the arrangements a light blue color. That had been Gina's favorite color. The door to her shop opened. Lyla looked up expecting Martha, Gina's grandmother. Instead it was Jack. She felt a pang in her heart. Truth was she had started falling for him.

"Hello Lyla," Jack greeted. Lyla folder her arms across her chest. Why was he here? It hurt even more to see him now.

"What are you doing here?" Lyla snapped. She didn't mean to, but she couldn't help but sound angry. She wanted to sound like she didn't care.

"I'm here to see how you are doing," Jack replied.

"Like you care!" Lyla retorted. She turned away from him, knowing she wouldn't be able to hold back the tears much longer.

"Contrary to what you may believe, I do care," Jack sighed. Lyla started crying then. She could no longer hold it back. She hated Jack in that moment, and loved him all I the same breath. This hurt so much more than it ever had with Basil. Why was she always the one being heartbroken?

Will stared at the phone. What had just transpired? Had Vaughn really been arrested? He tried to gather his thoughts, what exactly had Vaughn told him about the girl? She was in Tumerton? Slowly a smile came over his face. He knew the King of Tumerton personally from business dealings. Finding the girl would be easy.


	38. Chapter 38

Jack waited for Lyla's sobs to die down. He wasn't sure if he should move to comfort her, or just let her be. He let her cry, not wanting to upset her even more. He found it amazing that this woman had gotten to him in a way no other woman had. She deserved much better than how he had treated her and he knew it. Lyla finally turned back around. She lifted her weary gaze to his.

"What do you want Jack?" Lyla asked.

"I really was just coming to check up on you," Jack insisted. "Lyla, I do care. I can tell you right now that the best thing for me to do for you would be to walk away from this shop and never turn back around."

"So leave," Lyla said harshly. Jack felt himself flinch at her response.

"If that is what you want I will leave," Jack stated. Why did that hurt so damn much? He was not sure. All he knew was that he didn't want to walk away from her. "Is that what you want?"

"I don't know," Lyla sighed. She ran her fingers through her hair. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Was it all just a part of your cover?" Lyla asked.

"No," Jack answered. Lyla stated at him for a moment. Her hands were folded in front of her.

"Well at least there is that," Lyla quipped. She gave a half hearted smile.

"Look I know that what I've done to you is horrible. You deserve someone much better than me," Jack stated.

"Why don't you stop making decisions for me," Lyla insisted. She stepped closer to him. "I'm a grown woman." She was close to him now. She had a confidence about her that surprised him. She was beautiful. But there was something more than just that.

"I'm not a good man," Jack said lamely.

"You are wrong about that!" Lyla laughed softly. She placed her hand on his arm. Jack leaned in to kiss her. He wasn't sure if he could be the type of man that Lyla deserved, but for once he wanted to try.

"I need to get back to work," Jack stated.

"Come back later tonight?" Lyla asked. Jack smiled.

"You can count on it."

* * *

Rachel watched as a large helicopter landed near the palace. She was in her room, waiting for Tina to return. It had been a long day without her dear friend. It was so strange that she was such good friends with Tina. Rachel watched in horror as a man with blond hair stepped out of the helicopter. Her heartbeat quickened. This was the man that she had seen online as the owner of Maion Corporation. Where was Tina? She felt a panic rise inside her.

"Rachel?" A soft voice behind her asked. Rachel jumped. She turned to see Sanjay. She felt instantly comforted by his presence.

"Oh Sanjay," Rachel breathed out. Sanjay came over to her and grasped her hand.

"What is it my dear?" Sanjay asked.

"That man!" Rachel exclaimed. "What's he doing here?"

"I've seen him with the king before," Sanjay mused. "Do you know him?"

"Not exactly," Rachel said. "He is the CEO of Maion."

"Yes," Sanjay said with his brow furrowed. "I guess I never thought about Mr. Regison's connection to the King." Rachel clung to his arm. Sanjay wrapped his arm around her waist protectively. "Do not worry, I will protect you." Rachel looked up into Sanjay's eyes. He had a look of fierce protectiveness on his face. Rachel reached up to kiss his cheek.

"Thank you," Rachel sighed. She settled her head onto Sanjay's shoulder. She was falling in love with this gentle man who appeared to accept her for who she was. Rachel didn't know what to think at that moment. A part of her felt like she was an abomination. Sanjay was practically royalty and he deserved so much more than she did. As if sensing her thoughts, Sanjay lifted her chin up with his finger.

"Doubting yourself again?" Sanjay asked. Rachel nodded. He sighed and kissed her lightly. "Please don't."

"Master Sanjay!" A voice called out. Rachel and Sanjay looked towards the voice. "His Highness is asking for you in the throne room."

"Why?" Rachel asked panicked. Sanjay gripped her hand reassuringly.

"It'll be okay," Sanjay assured. "Just go to your bedroom, I'll be there when we are done."

* * *

"She belongs to me!" Will exploded. He was getting angry with King Faisal. But he was siding with his servant. It was infuriating to him.

"Sir if I may," Sanjay stated. "From what I understand she is..."

"She's my wife!" Will lied. "She was sick in the hospital. Obviously this delusion she has is a part of her illness."

"She doesn't appear sick," Amir interjected.

"Your Highness," Will turned towards King Faisal. "Please she is my everything. I am not sure why this fabrication has manifested itself in her mind."

"That is a lie!" Sanjay insisted.

"You don't know that," King Faisal replied. "We need to understand more about this. I cannot in good conscious release this girl into your custody without a little bit of research myself Mr Regison." Will wanted to argue, but he knew it was better to stay on the king's good side.

"Can I at least stay here until you make your decision?" Will asked.

"Of course," King Faisal answered back. Will nodded. He wouldn't have much time, but if he stayed in the palace, there was a chance that he would be able to extract her.

* * *

"Sanjay!" Rachel called out as Sanjay showed up in her doorway. She had never been happier to see him. Her smile stopped as soon as she saw his face. "What's wrong?"

"Rachel," Sanjay sighed. "I'm afraid that the situation doesn't look good."

"What why?" Rachel asked alarmed. She brought her hand up to her throat. She could feel her heartbeat quicken in fear.

"He is claiming that you are his wife," Sanjay stated.

"I'm not!" Rachel insisted. "I know that I'm not!"

"Shhhh," Sanjay soothed. "I believe you. And the king has decided he wants to look into it before he lets Mr. Regison take you."

"Take me?" Rachel asked. She shook her head. "I can't go with him!"

"Rachel, you aren't going anywhere," Sanjay assured. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. Rachel sighed and finally allowed herself to relax a little.

* * *

Gwen rubbed her temples lightly with her index fingers. Vaughn was not talking. Not that she had ever thought he would. This case was much larger than she had originally thought. Usually she hated having federal agents swoop in and take over her cases, but she found herself relieved for the help. She was more convinced than ever that Vaughn had killed Kurt. Her heart ached when she thought of him. Kurt had been involved in all of this. She couldn't help but wonder why he had involved himself in something like this. That was the part that hurt the most. Kurt involved himself in illegal activity. Finding that out was almost like a betrayal after the fact.

"You okay?" A voice asked. She jumped, then looked up to see Jack holding two cups of coffee in his hands. He held one out to her. Gwen took the coffee gratefully.

"Yeah," Gwen sighed. She took a sip of the coffee. "This case..."

"Yup," Jack agreed. "We still don't have enough to arrest Regison either."

"We will get what we need Jack," Gwen replied. "I'm not letting any of them get away with this."

"I'm sorry your boyfriend was involved," Jack stated.

"Yeah, me too," Gwen sighed. "Speaking of relationships..." Gwen smirked at Jack. Jack had the decency to look embarrassed.

"Yeah I never intended for any of this," Jack said.

"Have you spoken to Lyla?" Gwen asked. Jack nodded.

"I'm not good for her," Jack admitted. "If I were a better man I would have just walked away."

"I don't believe that," Gwen replied. "You are one of the best FIA agents I've ever met. You are a good man."

"Not for relationships, never had one of those before," Jack said. "I fear I'm just going to end up hurting her."

"That could happen, but the fact that you are worried about hurting her is a good sign," Gwen said carefully. "But Lyla is stronger than most people think."

"She's got a spine of steel in her," Jack agreed. "She just doesn't realize it."

"You know, you are the only other person who has ever been able to see that about her," Gwen said. "I believe you'll be just fine."

* * *

Rachel was unable to sleep. As much as Sanjay had tried to assuage her fears, it had not worked. She thought about the time before she had escaped. The tests that the doctor had performed were horrific. If this man was allowed to take her away, then she was certain those painful tests would resume. There was a light knock on her door. She sat up, perhaps Sanjay was having trouble sleeping as well. When she opened the door her dear intensified. Standing before her was Will Regison instead of Sanjay.

"What are you doing here?" Rachel demanded.

"Is that any way to greet your husband?" Will asked.

"You are not my husband!" Rachel exclaimed.

"Of course not, but you still belong to me," Will replied softly. Before she could react, he grabbed her and placed a cloth over her mouth. She struggles against him, but felt herself getting weaker. There was a strong pungent smell on the rag. She continued to struggle against him, but it was no use he was too strong. She felt her consciousness slipping away. Then everything went black.


End file.
